Researchers to begin trials of revolutionary flu jab

UK researchers are set to begin trials of a new flu vaccine, which could remove the need for an annual flu jab and, if successful, could offer protection against bird flu and a flu pandemic.

The current annual flu jab is designed to promote an immune system response to proteins on the outer shell of the flu virus. The problem with this is that these outer proteins are prone to mutation, therefore, every year scientists have to make an educated guess as to which strains of the flu virus will be most active during the upcoming influenza season, and three strains are chosen to be in the annual vaccine. The scientists usually make the right decisions, however, occasionally, their projection may be wrong, and that year's vaccine will be less effective.

Dr Sarah Gilbert and colleagues at Oxford University have developed a vaccine based upon proteins inside the flu virus known as matrix protein 1 and nucleo-protein, these proteins are relatively universal among different strains of the flu virus, thus suggesting that the vaccine will be effective against all strains of the virus. Furthermore, once people had been given the vaccine they would probably only need a booster once every five to 10 years, thus removing the need for – and cost of – annual vaccination.

If successful, the vaccine would be pivotal in the fight against a flu pandemic as stockpiles could be made before a pandemic occurs, rather than having to wait until scientists are able to identify the strain of the virus responsible for the outbreak. The flu pandemic of 1918 killed an estimated 40 million people.

Human trials of universal flu vaccine begin. University of Oxford website. 5th September 2008.