San Antonio--A vaccine for one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases is in the works right here in San Antonio.Dr. Ash Murthy has been working on the vaccine at UTSA for years. He was just given a $32,000 grant for his research this week.
According to the C.D.C., Chlamydia affects nearly 2-point-8 Americans each year, most of which are teenage girls.
Here in Texas, the C.D.C. says 17% of girls ages 15 to 19 are infected. That's higher than the national average. In Bexar county, metro health says nearly a third of all cases are in teen girls.
Dr. Murthy says, "The numbers are a little higher than the national average, and yes it is a problem primarily in the south region so yes it is a concern for the local community."
He says women are also the most prone to severe damage from the infection. The C.D.C. says the number of cases is probably much higher than what's reported because a lot of times the infection has no side affects.
