TORONTO — Two groups of U.S. researchers have come out with a historic discovery they believe brings us one step closer to a universal flu vaccine.
The hope is that this vaccine could eventually replace the seasonal flu shot, the formula of which is usually changed every flu season and can be largely ineffective if it targets the wrong virus strains.
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“Historically, even if you can use the same vaccine for a few years in a row, you can’t use it for long stretches of time. This would give you something that would give you protection against new variants that might arise,” explained Gary Nabel, one of the key researchers.
“In an ideal world…it would be given like a childhood vaccine. You might have some boosters and then for fairly long periods of time you wouldn’t require another shot.”
The ground-breaking research, published in Science Journal and Nature Medicine, focuses on the most stable part of a flu virus. That section can be compared to the trunk of a tree that has clumps of trees growing from it. While the “clumps” change year over year, the main “trunk” stays the same.
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Developing a vaccine that can target that core area “puts the most pressure on the virus from which it can’t escape,” according to Nabel.
So far, the vaccine has worked on mice, monkeys and ferrets. The latter are thought to be best predictor of whether this approach will work in humans. Clinical trials will be the next step.
Nabel estimated testing the current vaccine mixture, which targets influenza A viruses like H1, will take anywhere from three to five years. Other components will likely need to be added to make it also work on flu caused by H3 viruses and influenza B.
“So this won’t happen overnight.”
For now, here are five ways to protect yourself from the flu.
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