According to researchers at the University of Southampton, University of Oxford, and Retroscreen Virology Limited, a universal influenza vaccine, and major impacts to our immune systems, may be on the horizon due to research released today.
Annual flu deaths
The flu, unlike the common cold, can become very serious, particularly for the very old and the very young. Mortality rates vary widely from year-to-year, with unusually high death rates during pandemic years. The CDC estimates that between the flu seasons of 76-77 to 06-07, flu-related deaths range from around 3,000 annually to approximately 49,000 annual deaths, with over 18,000 dead during the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic of 2009-2010.
Problems with the annual flu vaccination
Despite the availability of the 'flu shot' at every clinic, corner drugstore, and even many grocery stores, rates of influenza infection, hospitalization, and mortality remain high, on occasion due to the fact that we have to keep getting a new shot every year. Why do we have to get vaccinated annually? Because the flu strains circulating in the community change every year. That's right, the flu shot you got last year is still keeping you protected from last year's flu, but if last year's flu isn't around anymore, it's not doing you any good. This is where a universal influenza vaccine comes in.
Universal flu vaccination
A universal flu shot is a vaccination that protects against all strains of the flu. How is this possible? By activating our T-cell immune response to influenza peptides, rather than the way that flu vaccines currently work; activating an antibody response to individual strains of the flu. According to lead author Dr. Tom Wilkinson, of the University of Southampton, "We have found that there is an important role for T-cells that recognise the flu virus, which if harnessed could protect against most or even all strains of seasonal and pandemic flu. Through this discovery, we hope to improve vaccines for future strains of influenza; and potentially protect against the next pandemic."
Next steps for universal influenza vaccine
What's next for the flu vaccine? More research in this area is necessary, so don't expect a universal flu shot this year or next, but as experiments continue, science grows ever closer to protecting us from another potentially devastating pandemic.
Reference:
Tom M Wilkinson, Chris K F Li, Cecilia S C Chui, Arthur K Y Huang, Molly Perkins, Julia C Liebner,Rob Lambkin-Williams, Anthony Gilbert, John Oxford, Ben Nicholas, Karl J Staples, Tao Dong,Daniel C Douek, Andrew J McMichael & Xiao-Ning Xu. Preexisting influenza-specific CD4+ T cells correlate with disease protection against influenza challenge in humans. Nature. (2012). Accessed January 31, 2012.
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