When was the first flu vaccine developed. How has the influenza vaccine changed over time. What are the major milestones in flu vaccine history. Who were key figures in creating the flu shot. How effective are modern flu vaccines. What types of flu vaccines exist today.

The Birth of Influenza Vaccination in the 1940s

The story of the influenza vaccine begins in the 1940s, a pivotal decade for medical advancements. Two prominent figures stand out in this early chapter of vaccine development:

• Thomas Francis, Jr., MD
• Jonas Salk, MD

These pioneering researchers at the University of Michigan led the charge in developing the first inactivated flu vaccine. Their groundbreaking work was supported by the U.S. Army, which had a vested interest in protecting troops from the devastating effects of influenza outbreaks, as experienced during World War I.

The researchers utilized fertilized chicken eggs in their vaccine production process – a method that continues to be widely used in flu vaccine manufacturing today. This innovative approach laid the foundation for decades of influenza prevention efforts.

In 1945, a significant milestone was reached: the first inactivated influenza vaccine was licensed for civilian use in the United States. This marked the beginning of widespread access to flu prevention for the general public.

Expanding Vaccine Recommendations in the 1960s

The 1960s brought new challenges and advancements in the fight against influenza. A severe flu pandemic during this decade led to substantial mortality rates, prompting health officials to take action. In response, the U.S. Surgeon General expanded flu vaccine recommendations to include several high-risk groups:

• People with chronic debilitating diseases
• Individuals aged 65 years or older
• Pregnant women

This targeted approach aimed to protect the most vulnerable populations from the potentially severe complications of influenza. It represented a significant shift in public health strategy, recognizing the importance of prioritizing certain groups for vaccination.

How did the 1960s pandemic influence vaccine policy?

The high mortality rates during the 1960s flu pandemic served as a wake-up call for health authorities. It highlighted the need for a more proactive approach to influenza prevention, leading to the expanded vaccine recommendations. This policy change set the stage for future developments in vaccine distribution and accessibility.

The Vaccines for Children Program: A Game-Changer in 1993

In 1993, a measles outbreak catalyzed another significant development in vaccine history: the establishment of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. This initiative aimed to remove financial barriers to vaccination for children whose families might struggle to afford them.

The VFC Program had far-reaching implications for influenza prevention:

1. It ensured that children from low-income families could receive recommended vaccinations at no cost.
2. The program promoted the concept of scheduled vaccinations for children, including annual flu shots.
3. It laid the groundwork for broader vaccine accessibility and coverage in the years to come.

What impact did the VFC Program have on flu vaccination rates?

The Vaccines for Children Program significantly increased vaccination rates among children, including for influenza. By removing financial barriers, it ensured that more children could receive annual flu shots, contributing to better community-wide protection against influenza outbreaks.

Nasal Spray Innovation: A New Era in Flu Prevention

June 2003 marked another milestone in the history of influenza vaccines with the licensing of the first nasal spray flu vaccine. This development represented a significant departure from traditional injection-based vaccines and offered several advantages:

• Needle-free administration, making it more appealing to those with injection phobias
• Easier application, especially for children
• Potential for improved immune response in the nasal passages

The introduction of the nasal spray vaccine expanded the options available for flu prevention, allowing healthcare providers to tailor their approach to individual patient needs and preferences.

How does the nasal spray flu vaccine differ from traditional shots?

Unlike injectable flu vaccines that use inactivated virus particles, the nasal spray vaccine contains live, attenuated (weakened) influenza viruses. This allows it to stimulate a more robust immune response in the nasal passages, where flu viruses typically enter the body. However, it’s important to note that the nasal spray vaccine is not recommended for all age groups or individuals with certain health conditions.

Universal Flu Vaccine Recommendation: A Landmark Decision in 2010

The year 2010 marked a watershed moment in influenza prevention with the implementation of a universal flu vaccine recommendation. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) began recommending annual influenza vaccination for all individuals 6 months of age and older.

This decision was influenced by several factors:

• Growing evidence of the vaccine’s effectiveness across all age groups
• Recognition of the flu’s potential severity even in healthy individuals
• Advocacy efforts by organizations like Families Fighting Flu

Families Fighting Flu, an organization founded by parents who lost children to influenza, played a crucial role in advocating for this universal recommendation. Their personal stories and tireless efforts helped highlight the importance of widespread flu vaccination.

Why was the shift to a universal flu vaccine recommendation significant?

The universal recommendation represented a paradigm shift in flu prevention strategy. By recommending the vaccine for nearly everyone, it simplified public health messaging, increased overall vaccination rates, and provided better community-wide protection against influenza outbreaks. This approach acknowledged that anyone can potentially develop severe complications from the flu, regardless of age or health status.

Modern Flu Vaccines: Diversity and Effectiveness

Today’s landscape of influenza vaccines is characterized by diversity and continued innovation. Several types of flu vaccines are now available, each with its own characteristics and target populations:

• Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccines (IIV4)
• Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccines (IIV3)
• Quadrivalent Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV4) – Nasal Spray
• Quadrivalent Recombinant Influenza Vaccine (RIV4)
• Quadrivalent Cell-Cultured Influenza Vaccine (ccIIV4)

These vaccines are produced using three main technologies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

1. Egg-Based Flu Vaccines
2. Cell Culture-Based Flu Vaccines
3. Recombinant Flu Vaccines

How effective are modern flu vaccines?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccines can reduce the chances of getting sick with influenza by up to 60 percent. While effectiveness can vary from season to season and among different age groups, the overall impact of widespread vaccination is significant in reducing flu-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.

The Future of Influenza Vaccination: Ongoing Research and Challenges

As we look to the future, the field of influenza vaccination continues to evolve. Researchers are actively working on several fronts to improve flu prevention:

• Development of a universal flu vaccine that could provide protection against multiple strains
• Enhancing vaccine effectiveness in older adults and other high-risk groups
• Improving production methods to allow for faster vaccine manufacturing
• Addressing vaccine hesitancy and increasing overall vaccination rates

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has also influenced flu vaccination efforts, highlighting the importance of respiratory virus prevention and the potential for co-infections.

What challenges remain in flu vaccine development and distribution?

Despite significant progress, several challenges persist in the realm of influenza vaccination:

1. The need to reformulate vaccines annually due to virus mutations
2. Improving vaccine efficacy, especially for certain age groups
3. Addressing misconceptions about flu vaccines and their safety
4. Ensuring equitable access to vaccines globally
5. Preparing for potential future pandemics

As research continues and public health strategies evolve, the goal remains clear: to provide the most effective protection possible against influenza and its potentially severe complications.

The Role of Public Health Education in Flu Prevention

While vaccine development and distribution are crucial components of influenza prevention, public health education plays an equally important role. Efforts to inform and engage the public about flu vaccination have evolved alongside the vaccines themselves.

Key aspects of modern flu education campaigns include:

• Emphasizing the importance of annual vaccination
• Dispelling myths and misconceptions about flu vaccines
• Providing easily accessible information about vaccine safety and efficacy
• Targeting outreach to high-risk groups and underserved communities
• Leveraging social media and digital platforms to reach broader audiences

How has public perception of flu vaccines changed over time?

Public perception of flu vaccines has undergone significant shifts since their introduction. Initially met with enthusiasm as a medical breakthrough, flu vaccines have faced periods of skepticism and misinformation. However, ongoing education efforts and the clear benefits of vaccination have helped maintain generally positive public attitudes. Today, most healthcare professionals and public health experts strongly recommend annual flu vaccination as a key preventive measure.

Organizations like Families Fighting Flu continue to play a crucial role in these education efforts, sharing personal stories that highlight the potential severity of influenza and the importance of vaccination. Their advocacy work complements scientific data and official recommendations, providing a powerful emotional context for public health messages.

What strategies are being used to increase flu vaccine uptake?

Public health officials and healthcare providers employ various strategies to increase flu vaccine uptake:

1. Offering vaccines in diverse settings, including pharmacies, workplaces, and schools
2. Implementing reminder systems for patients due for their annual flu shot
3. Providing incentives for vaccination, such as employer-sponsored programs
4. Collaborating with community leaders and organizations to promote vaccination
5. Utilizing targeted messaging for different demographic groups

These efforts aim to make flu vaccination as convenient and accessible as possible while addressing specific concerns and motivations of different populations.

Global Perspectives on Influenza Vaccination

While this article has primarily focused on the history and development of flu vaccines in the United States, it’s important to consider the global context of influenza prevention. Flu is a worldwide health concern, and vaccination efforts extend far beyond U.S. borders.

Key aspects of global flu vaccination include:

• World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for vaccine composition
• International collaboration on influenza surveillance and vaccine development
• Efforts to improve vaccine access in low- and middle-income countries
• Global preparedness planning for potential flu pandemics

How do flu vaccination policies differ around the world?

Flu vaccination policies and practices vary significantly across countries and regions. Factors influencing these differences include:

1. Economic resources and healthcare infrastructure
2. Cultural attitudes towards vaccination
3. Prevalence of high-risk populations
4. Local influenza patterns and seasonality
5. National health priorities and budget allocations

While many developed countries have robust flu vaccination programs similar to those in the United States, access and coverage can be more limited in resource-constrained settings. International health organizations and partnerships work to address these disparities and improve global influenza prevention efforts.

What role does international cooperation play in flu vaccine development?

International cooperation is crucial in the fight against influenza. Key areas of collaboration include:

• Global surveillance networks to monitor circulating flu strains
• Sharing of virus samples and data to inform vaccine development
• Coordinated research efforts to improve vaccine technologies
• Partnerships to enhance vaccine manufacturing and distribution capabilities
• Joint initiatives to address vaccine hesitancy and promote uptake worldwide

These collaborative efforts help ensure that flu vaccines remain as effective as possible against the constantly evolving influenza virus, regardless of where outbreaks may occur.

As we continue to navigate the complex landscape of influenza prevention, the history of flu vaccines serves as a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance. From the early days of egg-based vaccines to today’s diverse array of prevention options, the journey of influenza vaccination reflects broader trends in medical science and public health. By understanding this history, we can better appreciate the importance of ongoing vaccination efforts and the challenges that lie ahead in our continued fight against influenza.

The History of the Flu Vaccine

• Flu Facts
• Flu Prevention

Posted on March 29, 2023

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The flu vaccine is safe and has been around for decades. In fact, did you know it dates back to the 1940s and has continued to evolve with medicine over the years? As the vaccine continues to improve, all vaccine ingredients are tested for safety before they are manufactured meaning each vaccine is extremely safe. Let’s walk through the history of the flu vaccine. It’s also worth noting in the United States there are three different flu vaccine production technologies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

• Egg-Based Flu Vaccine
• Cell Culture-Based Flu Vaccine
• Recombinant Flu Vaccine

Development

In the 1940s, Thomas Francis, Jr., MD and Jonas Salk, MD served as lead researchers at the University of Michigan to develop the first inactivated flu vaccine with support from the U. S. Army. Their vaccine used fertilized chicken eggs which is still a method used to produce most flu vaccines today. Additionally, the first mechanical ventilators became available to help patients suffering from respiratory complications. The Army was involved with this research because of their experience with troop loss from flu illness and deaths during WWI.

In 1945, an inactivated influenza vaccine was licensed for use in civilians. In the 1960s, the country was faced with substantial mortality as the flu pandemic occurred. In response, the U.S. Surgeon General began recommending annual influenza vaccination for people with chronic debilitating disease, people aged 65 years or older, and pregnant women.

Fast Forward to 1993: The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program was established as a result of a measles outbreak to provide vaccines at no cost to children whose parents or guardians might not be able to afford them. This sparked the idea that children would begin to receive recommended vaccinations on a scheduled basis. Vaccines began taking different shapes as they continued to improve and in June of 2003, the first nasal spray flu vaccine was licensed.

Major Milestone

Families Fighting Flu played an instrumental role in establishing CDC’s universal recommendation for flu vaccination to include all individuals six months of age and older.

Some History about Families Fighting Flu: When Gary and Doris lost their 4-year-old daughter Jessica to the flu in 2002, Alissa lost her 4-year-old daughter Amanda and Joe lost his 3 ½ -year-old daughter Emily to the flu in 2004, the flu vaccination was not recommended for their age group. Since then, each of these parents have made it their mission to help save lives so other families didn’t have to go through what their family did. That takes us to 2010 when the ACIP began recommending annual influenza vaccination for those 6 months of age and older. It’s because of people like Gary, Doris, Alissa, and Joe and other families advocating and sharing their stories that this came to fruition.

Today

With the Tripledemic in full swing, doctors say it’s important to take certain precautions. First and foremost, now is the time to get your flu shot and make sure you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, paying attention to symptoms and seeking medical attention when necessary is important. As of February 24, 2023, between 173.5 million to 183.5 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed in the United States for the 2022-23 season. Check out the CDC’s historical reference of seasonal influenza vaccine doses distributed here.

Now, flu vaccines are accessible to nearly everyone and recommended for those 6 months or older. Check out the different types of flu vaccines below:

• Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccines (IIV4)
• Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccines (IIV3)
• Quadrivalent Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV4) – Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine
• Quadrivalent Recombinant Influenza Vaccine (RIV4)
• Quadrivalent Cell-Cultured Influenza Vaccine (ccIIV4)

Each flu season, the CDC dives into the data to determine the effectiveness of that season’s influenza vaccine. These vaccines are very safe and effective. Did you know they can reduce the chances of getting sick with the flu by up to 60 percent? According to the CDC, hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the past 50 years, and extensive research has supported the safety of flu vaccines. Check out more flu vaccine facts here, and make sure you get your annual flu vaccine to keep our communities healthy fighting the flu!

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A Brief History of the Flu Vaccine

Nurses care for victims of the influenza epidemic in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1918.

(Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Every year, three to five million people catch a severe flu, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and between 290,000 and 650,000 people die from it worldwide. Still, thanks to the flu vaccine, this is only a fraction of how many people it used to kill. During the last major flu pandemic of 1918-1919, it killed between 50 and 100 million people around the world.

Warehouses were converted to keep the infected people quarantined during the 1918 Influenza pandemic.

(Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

For a long time, scientists had thought that the flu was caused by a bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae, but after the 1918-19 pandemic, they started to suspect it was caused by a virus instead. However, it wouldn’t be until the 1930s that they would confirm that. In 1933, three scientists isolated the Influenza A virus in ferrets — one of the three types of flu — and in 1936, it was discovered that the virus could be grown inside embryonated chicken eggs, a key step towards making a vaccine.

Just two years later, in 1938, Jonas Salk (who would later go on to develop the Polio vaccine) and Thomas Francis developed the first vaccine using fertilized chicken eggs and an inactivated strain of the Influenza A virus.

Dr Jonas Salk at work in the Virus Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School.

(Keystone Features/Getty Images)

This new vaccine was first used to help protect soldiers fighting in World War II; it wouldn’t be approved for civilians until 1946. According to a 1944 study of the new vaccine, it helped reduce illness that was accompanied by a temperature above 99 degrees Fahrenheit.

Vaccines at this time weren’t as purified as today’s vaccines though, and those impurities could cause side effects, including fever, aches, and fatigue, leading many people to incorrectly assume they caught the flu from the vaccine. Also, this early flu vaccine only protected against one of the three flu types, Influenza A. There are three types of flu — Influenza A, B and C — and each one has its own viral strain that replicates and changes independently of the others every season. Influenza A and B are the most common. A vaccine against Influenza A did nothing to protect people from Influenza B or C. It wasn’t until 1942 that the first bivalent vaccine was developed, meaning it worked for both an Influenza type A and type B strain.

US President Gerald Ford announces a national swine flu immunization program in the White House Press Briefing Room, Washington DC, March 24, 1976. Among those with him are virologist Dr Jonas Salk (left) and US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare F David Mathews (center).

(Ricardo Thomas/Gerald R Ford LIbrary/PhotoQuest/Getty Images)

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In 1976, a swine flu outbreak hit New Jersey, which incited fears of a new pandemic, so President Gerald Ford announced that the federal government would vaccinate all Americans. Congress approved $137 million for producing a vaccine for this purpose before flu season started. Unfortunately, hundreds of people developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (which causes nerve damage and paralysis) after receiving this vaccine, making many people fear it. The Ford family tried to alleviate fears by televising getting their flu shots, but ultimately the swine flu vaccination program was cancelled.

Despite this setback, production of seasonal flu vaccines continued. Seasonal strains of each type of influenza mutate and change very quickly, so the flu shot is the only vaccine that needs to be continually updated. In 1973, WHO developed a more rigorous process for targeting the strains that affect people, and in 1978, the first trivalent vaccine was developed, protecting people against two different strains of Influenza A and one strain of Influenza B.

In 2003, the first live attenuated influenza vaccine — FluMist — was approved by the FDA, which contained a weaker, live strain of the virus. It is administered as a nasal spray.

((Getty Images/TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY))

Today’s vaccines are much more effective than the early vaccines because a global network of scientists monitor the various strains of the virus. Each year, they determine how they’ve mutated over the past year, how they are spreading, and try to predict which strains might be most prevalent in the coming year in both hemispheres. They then announce which influenza subtypes should be targeted by vaccines so medical labs can start working on them. The FDA approves the vaccines by the spring, production begins in the summer and it is available at your pharmacy come fall, aka the start of flu season.

Of course, flu vaccines are never 100% effective, but they’re the best defense we have today. The good news is that they are also widely available and free with most insurance providers.

Know your flu risk. Check out the Flu Tracker on The Weather Channel App.

90,000 The origins of influenza vaccination. A. A. Smorodintsev

There is a lot of talk about flu shots these days. And about the author of the world’s first influenza vaccine – unforgivably little! We decided to fill this gap.

For millennia, flu epidemics were regular and uncontrollable, and the scale of victims surpassed any wars.

Doctors of that time, having no idea about the etiology of influenza, could not influence its spread and therefore only struggled with the symptoms of the disease.

But with the advent of knowledge about the nature of infections and the development of microbiology, the situation has changed. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, scientists around the world began a targeted search for the causative agent of influenza.

Initially, an erroneous conclusion was made that the disease is not of a viral, but of a bacterial nature and is caused by Haemophilus influenzae.

However, in 1933, the Soviet microbiologist Anatoly Alexandrovich Smorodintsev substantiated the viral nature of influenza on the basis of laboratory and clinical and epidemiological studies.

His conclusion in the same year was confirmed by British colleagues, who were able to isolate the influenza virus from a sick person.

Anatoly Alexandrovich Smorodintsev was the greatest scientist. The discovery of the influenza virus for anyone else would be the crowning achievement of a career, but for him it would be just the beginning of a journey.

In 1936–1938 A.A. Smorodintsev developed the world’s first attenuated live monovalent influenza vaccine.

The results of this work are published by A.A. Smorodintsev in the British journal The Lancet .

Under the leadership of A.A. Smorodintsev’s work on the study of influenza continued. New scientific directions were developed and substantiated related to the comprehensive prevention of influenza, the creation of vaccines, the use of interferon inducers for the prevention of influenza and acute respiratory diseases (ARI), and the study of the role of herd immunity in influenza. The merit of A.A. Smorodintsev was the creation in the USSR of a specialized scientific institution for researching influenza and other acute respiratory infections – the Research Institute of Influenza.

And today, on the basis of the Research Institute of Influenza, which was named after A.A. Smorodintsev in 2018, the Federal Center for Influenza and ARI, as well as the National Center for Influenza of the World Health Organization, operate.

But the scientific interests of Anatoly Alexandrovich were not limited to the study of influenza. His exceptional talent and efficiency made it possible to successfully combine work in different areas of virology. And in each to make a discovery!

He developed and introduced a vaccine against polio, created vaccines against tick-borne encephalitis, measles, mumps, and rubella. Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR, Lenin and Stalin Prizes, A.A. Smorodintsev was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of Friendship of Peoples, the Order of the Badge of Honor and other state awards. He received wide international recognition, being an honorary member of a number of medical societies in different countries.

“Anatoly Alexandrovich is a scientist to whom the country and world science owe the creation of drugs against almost all diseases,” contemporaries said about him.

The merits of A.A. Smorodintsev did not remain in the past. His scientific legacy is used by virologists around the world, and the vaccines he created continue to save millions of lives today.

Scientists have created a (nearly) universal flu vaccine

November 25, 2022

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Scientists say they have succeeded in developing a universal vaccine against all 20 influenza species. Based on the same mRNA (MRNA) technology that is successfully used in coronavirus vaccines, the vaccine contains elements of all known viruses and, in principle, should protect even against new strains that can cause a pandemic.

All current vaccines require constant updating to keep up with virus mutations and are unlikely to offer the same protection. So far, the new vaccine has only been tested on laboratory animals, so human clinical trials are ahead. However, according to experts, a universal vaccine may appear as early as 2024.

• Universal Flu Vaccine Tried in Britain
• How Vaccines Changed the World. The history of vaccinations from the 18th century to the present day
• Scientists Promise Single Flu Vaccine Soon

Just published results from a US study show that in clinical trials in mice and ferrets, the new vaccine has shown good protection against all currently known influenza species.

Potentially, this opens the way for a universal vaccine that could, in principle, prevent future influenza pandemics.

This two-dose vaccine uses the same array RNA (mRNA) technology used by Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna to develop COVID vaccines. mRNA is a molecule that contains instructions for a cell to produce antibodies using its own internal mechanisms. In order to successfully enter the cell and not destroy it, mRNA travels in a protective shell, which is called a lipid nanoparticle.

That said, the vaccine doesn’t promise to end seasonal influenza once and for all, but it could make the job of healthcare professionals, who have to change vaccine formulas every year in the hope that it can protect against new strains, much easier.

Image copyright, Getty Images

Image caption,

mRNA strands are present in all current influenza vaccines Queen Mary, John Oxford suggested that they take their time.

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“I wouldn’t rush things, but although I’m not a gambler, I would bet that we will have this vaccine by next winter,” said Professor Oxford. “I know for sure “It’s coming, and I can’t put into words what a breakthrough this research has been. Thanks to the new mRNA vaccine technology, it’s possible to tame two animals from the jungle of respiratory diseases – influenza and covid. And this will help us a lot in the coming years.”

The new vaccine will also need to be updated periodically to be effective against new strains, but Prof Oxford says it has the potential to save many thousands of lives.

“Look at covid, how many people died from it, and how many new vaccines saved later,” he says, “and we often underestimate the danger of influenza viruses. We need to take on them, as we took on covid, and I think that the flu is the next big beast to be tamed.”

Unlike standard vaccines, which carry one or two variants of hemagglutinin (a glycoprotein that is present on the surface of the influenza virus and is a key element in the mechanism of infection), the experimental vaccine contains 20 variants of this protein at once, based on the fact that the human immune system in recognize any influenza virus in the future.

In laboratory experiments, the immune systems of experimental animals recognized hemagglutinin proteins and protected the body from 18 strains of influenza A and two strains of type B. At the same time, antibodies, which were promoted by the new vaccine, remained in the blood for at least four months after injection.

According to the researchers, the vaccine reduced the symptoms of the disease and prevented deaths even when experimental ferrets were infected with viruses, elements of which were not in the vaccine.

However, study leader Scott Hensley of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine emphasizes that a universal vaccine will not necessarily prevent infection.

“The idea was to create a vaccine that would give people a basic immune memory for different strains of influenza,” says the scientist. “And this could significantly reduce the number of severe cases and deaths in the next pandemic.”

Of course, every barrel of honey must have its fly in the ointment, and as reviewers of the study, Alison Kelvin and Darryl Falzarano of the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, write, serious questions remain about how to evaluate the effectiveness and potential requirements for a vaccine against future viruses that not yet found in nature.