"Universal Flu Vaccine: A Game Changer In Prevention" - Jasenka Piljac Zegarac, PhD
Influenza is a significant cause of global morbidity and mortality due to viral infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the number of influenza-associated deaths in the United States to range between 12,000 and 56,000 in the period between the 2010/2011 and 2013/2014 influenza seasons. With the aim of overcoming the shortcomings of currently available influenza vaccines, researchers led by experts from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health embarked on a quest to develop a universal influenza vaccine. Florian Krammer, PhD, associate professor of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai said, "Universal influenza vaccines need to target the conserved parts of the virus that do not change much over time. Currently, the conserved stem domain of the HA is the main target." Dr. Krammer added, "A vaccine that has to be given only two to three times in a lifetime will be much better accepted than a vaccine that has to be given every year, so it is likely that vaccination rates would reach a very high level. In addition, the current vaccines are not included in childhood vaccination programs in low and middle income countries, because it is too expensive and complicated to give them every year."
- Florian Krammer, PhD, Associate Professor, Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
