Universal flu vaccine may be available within two years, says scientist

A vaccine that protects against all strains of the flu could be available in the next two years according to a scientist.

An experimental vaccine based on the same technology used in the successful Covid jabs was found to protect mice and ferrets.

The vaccine developed at the University of Pennsylvania could be ready for use in the winter according to Prof John Oxford.

The paper is a breakthrough according to Oxford. Sometimes we underestimate the potential of big respiratory Viruses.

Researchers have been working on a universal flu vaccine for more than a decade, but the latest breakthrough is seen as a major step towards a jab that could protect humans from a potentially devastating flu epidemic.

Every year, seasonal flu vaccines are updated to make sure they are a good match for the flu circulating in the community. The new vaccine is designed toprime the immune system against all of the different types of flu, which could help the body fight off any flu viruses that arise.

The 1918 flu epidemic showed how dangerous new strains could be, even though it was less lethal than health officials thought.

Giving people a baseline level of immunity against the full range of flu strains could lead to less illness and fewer deaths in the event of a flu epidemic. Experiments in mice and ferrets show that the vaccine protects them against the flu for several months.

Clinical trials are needed to see if the vaccine protects humans in the same way as it protects animals. The vaccine raises questions for regulators about whether to approve a shot that could protect against viruses that have not yet arisen.

It will be important to investigate the vaccine's safety and efficacy in humans because it has only been tested in animals. It seems like a very promising approach to the goal of producing a universal flu vaccine as well as vaccines that protect against multiple members of other viral families.

According to the director of the Institute for Global Health and Emerging Pathogens at Mount Sinai hospital in New York, current vaccines don't protect against the H1N1 swine flu. The vaccine would achieve this if it worked well in people.

He said the studies are experimental. Although they suggest a protective capacity against all types of flu, we can't be sure until clinical trials are completed.