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.
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.
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.
