I'm sure most of you have probably seen this but just in case anyone missed it. A "universal" influenza vaccine just passed phase II clinical trials. It's the basis for the Netflix documentary series, "Pandemic".
"There may be hope yet for a universal flu vaccine - one powerful dose of immunization that can provide long-lasting protection for multiple influenza strains, all in a single shot. A discovery like that would be a holy grail for public health, and after more than a decade of careful research, a specific version called FLU-v is now moving into the last rounds of clinical testing.
So far, researchers say the results have been "very encouraging", and the vaccine has successfully passed phase I and phase II clinical trials. Although trials in these phases are limited to assessing the safety of the vaccine, there's also evidence it might be effective.
In the latest round of randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, the jab was found to promote antibody responses and immune system changes among 175 healthy adult participants. While this doesn't mean the vaccine can defend against the flu virus itself, these are certainly powerful attributes.
"So far we have carried out four clinical trials with FLU-v," Olga Pleguezuelos, who works at the pharmaceutical development firm SEEK, told ScienceAlert, "and the take home message is that the vaccine induces cellular and antibody responses that can still be detected six months post-immunisation."
Such lasting resistance is invaluable given how quickly the influenza virus can change. The group of viruses collectively responsible for giving us 'the flu' are such shapeshifters, they easily slip out of our grasp each season."
For more, click the link below:
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-potentia ... ical-trial