A new study published on Friday, July 19, revealed that a universal flu vaccine could be coming in the next five years. Scientists in the United States said that experiments with the new vaccine technology have shown promising results.
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Scientists said that the influenza virus is always mutating, which creates the need for a different flu vaccine each year. However, the new vaccine technology researchers are working on would be a “one-and-done” shot that would offer a lifetime of protection from the virus, no matter the mutation.
Researchers said that current flu shots only target proteins protruding from the surface of the virus that are known as “spike proteins.” However, the vaccine in development would target the core of the virus, which scientists say does not evolve over time.
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Scientists involved in the study said that experiments on monkeys with the new vaccine technology elicited “a robust immune response.”
The experiments involved 11 monkeys that were infected with the current bird flu strain known as H5N1. Researchers inoculated six of the monkeys against the 1918 Spanish Flu. Those monkeys survived the exposure to H5N1. However, the five monkeys that were not inoculated died from H5N1.
The team of researchers said that the study raises the potential of developing a vaccine against H5N1 in humans. That means the technology could be used to deliver long-lasting immunity against COVID-19.
Researchers said that the vaccine technology was originally developed to fight HIV.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE YOU GET ONE FLU SHOT AND YOU’RE PROTECTED FROM EVERY FORM OF THE VIRUS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
SCIENTISTS SAY IT MAY HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
INFLUENZA IS CONSTANTLY MUTATING.
THAT’S WHY A NEW VACCINE IS NEEDED EACH YEAR.
BUT RESEARCHERS SAY THEY’VE TARGETED A PART OF THE VIRUS THAT DOES NOT MUTATE.
CURRENT FLU SHOTS TARGET PROTEINS PROTRUDING FROM THE SURFACE OF THE VIRUS KNOWN AS “SPIKE PROTEINS.”
RESEARCHERS SAY THIS VACCINE IS DESIGNED TO TARGET THE CORE OF THE VIRUS, WHICH UNLIKE “SPIKE PROTEINS” DOES NOT EVOLVE OVER TIME.
SCIENTISTS SAY EARLY TESTS ON MONKEYS ELICITED “A ROBUST IMMUNE RESPONSE.”
11 MONKEYS WERE INFECTED WITH BIRD FLU– WHICH HAS BEEN SPREADING IN DAIRY CATTLE ACROSS THE U-S.
SIX OF THEM RECEIVED AN INOCULATION AGAINST THE 19-18 SPANISH FLU AND SURVIVED EXPOSURE TO H51N1.
BUT THE FIVE UNVACCINATED MONKEYS DIED FROM THE BIRD FLU.
THE TEAM ALSO SAYS THE STUDY RAISES HOPE FOR DEVELOPING A VACCINE AGAINST H5N1 IN PEOPLE— AND THE TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED TO DELIVER LONG-LASTING IMMUNITY TO COVID-19.
RESEARCHERS SAY THE VACCINE TECH WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED TO FIGHT H-I-V.
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