SAN ANTONIO – Getting a flu shot every year has long been the standard — but researchers in San Antonio are working to change that.
At Texas Biomedical Research Institute, scientists are developing a new type of flu vaccine that could provide protection for several years instead of just one season.
Right now, health experts say the reason for yearly flu shots comes down to how quickly the virus evolves.
“Because the flu virus is constantly changing, then you need to get a flu vaccine every single year,” said Dr. Lee-Ann Allen, executive vice president of research at Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
Each year, global health organizations try to predict which strains of the virus will be most common — but it’s not an exact science.
“It’s a highly educated guess and that’s why it’s not perfect,” Allen said. “The WHO (World Health Organization) … are making an educated guess in the winter about what they are going to need next fall.”
Researchers say the new approach focuses on identifying parts of the virus that don’t change as much, allowing for longer-lasting protection.
“The new vaccine would be setting up a situation where you could first identify components of the flu virus that didn’t change so much,” Allen explained.
The goal is to create a vaccine that targets those stable elements — essentially a “common denominator” in how the immune system responds.
If successful, scientists say it could mean people only need a flu shot every few years instead of annually.
“Maybe people would only need to get a flu vaccine, say, every five years instead of every single year,” Allen said.
The research is still in progress, but scientists say they are moving toward the next phase.
“I think we’re getting closer to having certainly animal trials and then ideally, clinical trials,” Allen said.
While a yearly flu shot is still recommended for now, researchers say this work could eventually change how often people need protection — and how the flu is prevented in the future.
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