US Pharm. 2015;40(8):HS11.
Bethesda, MD—A new study shows that scientists may be able to create a “universal” vaccine that can provide broad protection against numerous influenza strains, including those that could cause future pandemics. Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) used a viruslike particle vaccine cocktail that expressed a handful of different subtypes, and found that 95% of mice vaccinated with the investigational cocktail were protected against a lethal challenge with eight different influenza strains, compared to only 5% of mice who received placebo. This new strategy would eliminate the need to match the influenza vaccine to the circulating viruses every year.
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