Researchers are working on a flu vaccine that will have a permanent health benefit on an individual.
The traditional annual flu shot is currently having some issues concerning its affectivity. To address the said issue, health experts are now trying to manufacture a permanent vaccine to provide a long lasting cure for influenza.
Physician Christopher Belcher explained in a statement the area of study he is now focusing.
"With more permanent influenza vaccines, the idea is to pick a part of the virus that doesn't chance and administer that, and see how well it protects people. And that's where the work is getting done now," stated by the Director of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases in the St Vincent Indianapolis Hospital.
According to Belcher, he's been following several researches published in the field of Science and Nature, in order to gain more understanding about the process.
Recently, medical specialists are spending more time in their laboratories in the hope of recreating a universal influenza vaccine. If the said attempt becomes successful, the universal antibody will offer a person full protection against all type of strains of influenza. The breakthrough will also provide a permanent immunity which will offer relief to doctors.
In another study, it was found out that the annual vaccine shot is not that effective as what others think. In a research conducted by examining 328 households during the 2010-2011 flu seasons, it was discovered that only those people who haven't had a vaccine shot last year were the ones who were more immunized.
This means that repeated flu vaccination can make the latest shot less effective than the former. Although this results still need further study, the outcome is said to be unexpected.
Furthermore, influenza is still one of the deadly viruses in the US. According to the website of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 3,000 to 49,000 flue-associated deaths in the US between 1976 and 2007.
