Potential universal flu vaccine

[ursaminortaur]

Scientists have developed a potential universal flu vaccine. The vaccine has so far only been tried in animals and provides protection for about 4 months so annual shots would still be required - assuming of course this works as well in human clinical trials.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-vaccine-pandemics-influenza-covid-b2232797.html

Scientists say they have made a breakthrough in designing a universal vaccine that could protect against flu.

It will protect against all 20 known types of flu and uses the same technology as the Covid vaccines.

A universal vaccine would not mean an end to flu seasons but would replace the guesswork that goes into developing annual shots months ahead of flu season each year.

The new two-dose vaccine triggered high levels of antibodies in tests on ferrets and mice. It contains safe copies of parts of all 20 known types of the flu virus, enabling the animals’ immune systems to recognise and learn to fight them.

In lab experiments, vaccinated animals’ immune systems recognised the flu virus and defended against 18 different strains of influenza A and two strains of influenza B.

Antibody levels induced by the vaccine remain unchanged for at least four months, according to a report published in the journal Science.

The vaccine reduced signs of illness and protected from death even when the ferrets were exposed to a different type of flu that were not in the vaccine, the researchers said.
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The universal flu vaccine, if successful in human trials, would not necessarily prevent infection. The goal is to provide durable protection against severe disease and death, Mr Henley said.

[DrFfybes]

Hmmm. mRNA technology.

12 billion population here we come.

I'm fairly sure people will still die, just not necessarily from Flu. Well, not until a Flu mutant arises that evade the new vaccine

[88V8]

12 billion population here we come.

Ferrets, you mean?

Was reading t'other day that the monoclonal antibodies in use in the US are being circumvented by Omicron, so we need to keep developing new stuff or the bugs will get us.

V8

[mc2fool]

The new two-dose vaccine triggered high levels of antibodies in tests on ferrets and mice. It contains safe copies of parts of all 20 known types of the flu virus, enabling the animals’ immune systems to recognise and learn to fight them.
:
The vaccine reduced signs of illness and protected from death even when the ferrets were exposed to a different type of flu that were not in the vaccine, the researchers said.

[ursaminortaur]

The new two-dose vaccine triggered high levels of antibodies in tests on ferrets and mice. It contains safe copies of parts of all 20 known types of the flu virus, enabling the animals’ immune systems to recognise and learn to fight them.
:
The vaccine reduced signs of illness and protected from death even when the ferrets were exposed to a different type of flu that were not in the vaccine, the researchers said.

I'd have to assume that the 20 variants are ones which infect humans and the extra one tested with the ferrets is a related flu viruses which, at least so far, only infects ferrets. Possibly though it could be Influenza-C which does sometimes infect humans but is extremely mild compared to the Influenza-A and Influenza-B viruses which cause most flu illness in humans.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/types.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019359/

Influenza C virus (ICV) is lesser known type of influenza virus that commonly causes cold-like symptoms and sometimes causes lower respiratory infection, especially in children <2 years of age