Future of Medicine: Universal Flu Vaccine

Could there be just one vaccine for the flu instead of a new  recipe every year?  Researchers in Great Britain think it’s possible by using a new strategy.  The influenza virus routinely undergoes mutations to change its genetic makeup, like putting on different camouflage, so the immune system can’t find and kill it.  In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) formulates the virus recipe that will be included in the annual influenza vaccine.   Think of this like going to Fashion Week in order to identify next year’s hottest trends.  Sometimes these choices are a hit and the vaccine gives recipients successful protection, and sometimes they are a flop, and vaccinated people get the flu anyway.

The new approach as outlined by the researchers in Great Britain is to stop all the guessing, and make one vaccine that is effective against all strains of influenza each and every year.  This vaccine, instead of trying to target annually changing virus camouflage, stimulates the bodies overall immune system making it better to fight off any infection, and also targets internal structures of the virus that persist from year to year, instead of the ever-changing outside coating.   An initial early clinical trial has shown success with this approach, with recipients avoiding flu symptoms after being intentionally exposed to the influenza virus.

Like any medical advance, this is several years from being available for widespread use, and larger studies are needed to confirm that this new approach is safe and effective.