Universal Flu Vaccine To Counter All Pandemics?

By Andrea Cooper

29 November 2022

Scientists from various American Universities are working towards a common goal of eliminating flu from the planet. It may sound very easy. However, the research and testing done so far seem promising. 

New vaccine for flu.jpeg

Until now the created vaccine has been shown to trigger high levels of antibodies, in tests on ferrets and mice. The latest vaccine has the same messenger-ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology that was used in Covid vaccines. 

Dr. Scott Hensley, one of the scientists behind the research shared, "The idea here is to have a vaccine that will give people a baseline level of immune memory to diverse flu strains."

The vaccine has antigens with safe copies of all 20 known and recorded subtypes of influenza A and B viruses. This way the vaccine will amplify the immune system to fight the flu better.

Another spokesperson shared, "Current influenza vaccines do not protect against influenza viruses with pandemic potential.

This vaccine, if it works well in people, would achieve this.

The studies are preclinical, in experimental models. They are very promising and, although they suggest a protective capacity against all subtypes of influenza viruses, we cannot be sure until clinical trials in volunteers are done."

You Might Also Want To Read This