Universal mRNA flu vaccine out of Univ. of Pennsylvania may be available within two years, says scientist
Fri 25 Nov 2022 06.05 EST
Universal flu vaccine may be available within two years, says scientist
Vaccine against all strains of virus hailed as major step in protecting against potentially devastating flu pandemicThe new vaccine is designed to prime the immune system against all 20 subtypes of influenza A and B, potentially arming the body to tackle any flu virus that arises. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
An experimental vaccine based on the same mRNA technology used in the highly successful Covid jabs was found to protect mice and ferrets against severe influenza, paving the way for clinical trials in humans.
Prof John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary University in London, who was not involved in the work, said the vaccine developed at the University of Pennsylvania could be ready for use the winter after next.
“I cannot emphasise enough what a breakthrough this paper is,” Oxford told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme. “The potential is huge, and I think sometimes we underestimate these big respiratory viruses.”
Researchers have been working on universal flu vaccines for more than a decade, but the latest breakthrough, published in Science, is seen as a major step towards a jab that could help protect humans from a potentially devastating flu pandemic.
Read the full article at: www.theguardian.com
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