2023-04-21 22:00:15
Every year it is a puzzle to find the best flu shot. That’s because flu variants never sit still and the dominant virus is slightly different every time. A universal vaccine against flu is therefore high on the scientific wish list, because the flu still claims many lives worldwide. Every year between 13 and 100 million people become ill, of whom between 3 and 5 million are seriously ill. Of these, between 300,000 and 500,000 people die.
The search for a ‘universal’ vaccine mainly focuses on the main culprits belonging to virus type A, and in particular the variants HA and H1. Type A has caused four outbreaks in the last century alone. Also think of the Spanish flu, or H1N1 between 1918 and 1920.
A new vaccine candidate, H1ssF, offers exciting results in an early phase. It is quite an ‘old-fashioned’ vaccine, made from stabilized virus proteins, also called hemagglutinins, which activate the body’s immune response. In the clinical phase, 53 people received a dose. Of these, 35 received another booster after 16 weeks.
After a year, the test subjects with the booster showed an adequate amount of antibodies against a large number of viruses. Not only H1 type, but also against HA types. The side effects were infrequent and mild: some soreness at the injection site and mild headache for the first 48 hours after the injection. In addition, the vaccine had activated the production of memory B cells. These cells recognize the pathogen and produce the specific antibodies.
Several years with one shot
The intention is that H1ssF not only protects against various viruses, but also offers higher protection than the current flu shot. In addition, H1ssF activates the immune system in the longer term, so you can use one injection for several years. An annual prediction of future pathogens is then no longer necessary.
According to Professor of Infectious Diseases Leo Visser at the LUMC, there is a real race to a universal flu shot. “There are several hijackers on the coast, so it’s hard to say if H1ssF is going to be the jab. It is protein-based, but you can also attack such a vaccine with mRNA. The biotech boys and girls are also making very good progress in this area. The difficulty is that the outside of the hemagglutinin is changeable, and our bodies get sick of every little change. A universal vaccine manages to ensure that the hemagglutinin stem, regardless of its altered exterior, still triggers an immune response in the body without making you sick.”
The universal flu jab was worked on by vaccinologists Alicia Widge and Sarah Andrews, who previously also joined forces to find universal vaccines against other zoonoses. For example, they are also working on a single vaccine against various infectious diseases caused by mosquitoes and on a vaccine that should protect against diseases caused by monkeys, such as the monkeypox virus.
Not dependent on a correct prediction of the upcoming flu wave
The fact that a universal jab is not dependent on a correct prediction of an upcoming flu wave increases its effectiveness, because a 100 percent correct prediction is difficult. The current flu shot reduces the risk of infection by 30 percent and the risk of hospitalization by 40 percent.
Only half of the 6 million Dutch people who are invited to take the flu jab respond. The researchers hope that the higher effectiveness and longer protection of a universal vaccine will motivate more vulnerable people to get the flu shot.
Read also:
Fighting the flu with a fallible vaccine
As soon as the r is in the month, the injections are ready. Get a flu shot or not? Facts about a vaccination program.
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