A global flu vaccine could be coming soon

Scientists have found that a single dose of Flu-v can stimulate a strong immune response against common parts of many influenza virus strains.

In a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine on March 9, the scientists found that a single dose of Flu-v could stimulate the immune response more strongly than a placebo in a small trial of 175 volunteers. This result shows that the vaccine is safe and potentially effective. The team will continue to carry out final clinical trials with Flu-v.

"We are about to make a turning point in creating a global flu vaccine. In the past, the global flu vaccine was born in 5 years just like a joke. But I think this time, it can really be born in 5 next year , " said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist at the Johns Hopkins Health Security Center.

Picture 1 of A global flu vaccine could be coming soon
Scientists are developing a new global flu vaccine.(Photo: Daily Beast).

The seasonal flu vaccine saves many lives but is still not optimal, Adalja said. In fact, each flu season begins with a race to predict the characteristics of the emerging flu virus and develop a vaccine to prevent it from spreading.

This process is time-consuming and cost-effective because vaccines are produced with great care from cultured eggs or cells. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) provides data on virus strains that are likely to flare out just a few months before the flu season. This will cause vaccine shortages. Even when the supply is plentiful, the virus can be surprising by mutating in the middle of the season and rendering the vaccine produced ineffective.

"The production of seasonal flu vaccines is labor-intensive and limits the number of vaccine doses produced each year. Health workers have very little time when they need to finalize a vaccine before the flu season. They are under great pressure because ensure patients are vaccinated for 2-3 months, " said co-author Olga Pleguezuelos, a scientist at Seek.

Flu-v is a promising alternative, potentially a global flu vaccine. Flu-v targets parts that are common in many influenza viruses and cannot be mutated. "Flu-v can be produced year-round. The production process using artificial substances is not limited in size, unlike flu vaccines developed from eggs or cell cultures , " Pleguezuelos said.

It is important to prove Flu-v is safe and effective. At least 4 trials have shown that this vaccine is safe. The new study, called Phase 2 research, is the first human test to show that Flu-v helps the body boost its production of antibodies to stop the virus from spreading. Next, the expert team needs to determine the vaccine's ability to prevent influenza with the final clinical trials of "Stage 3".

"This is a successful study published in a prestigious journal. Next it is necessary to assess whether the antibodies are effective and how the vaccine works with flu in practice," Adalja said. Pleguezuelos and his colleagues are planning a major study to solve this problem, but they are relatively optimistic about the current results. "The new vaccine has the potential to change the way countries protect people from the flu and reduce the burden that this disease has on the economy and health," Pleguezuelos said.

A number of other candidates for the global flu vaccine are also under development. For example, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will start testing humans on a global flu vaccine in 2019. Israeli company BiondVax is also conducting Phase 3 trials of the full flu vaccine. bridge named M-001. The study involved more than 12,000 participants, and is expected to produce results by the end of this year.