Yearly flu jabs may one day be in the past
There is an unpleasant but necessary annual ritual that is vital to protecting one’s health and saves lives around the globe. Unfortunately, for many, getting the vaccine for influenza conjures up unpleasant memories of a yearly visit to the doctor’s office, lengthy queues, a painful jab and a sore arm. That may become a thing of the past. Imagine only having to get a dose once every 3 years, and having it as a nasal spray. This is the aim of a project being carried out through the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute. University of Hong Kong (HKU) researchers worked for more than six years on two vaccines which aim to provide protection against multiple subtypes of influenza A, and also last much longer than current vaccines. Researchers hope the new joint initiative between HKU, University of Cambridge, and the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul can accelerate the process and lead to clinical trials in as few as 5 years.
Nasal sprays can stimulate the immune system in the respiratory tract, helping to actually prevent infections, and would provide protection for at least a few years. Current flu vaccines tend to help reduce serious complications, rather than prevent the infection in the first place. And since the flu strains keep changing, the current vaccines must be administered annually.
The two new nasal spray vaccines being developed work differently to stimulate the immune system, and researchers are trying to work out which is most effective. Influenza A is their target because it has led to pandemics, like the Spanish flu in the early 1900s and swine flu in 2009. Seasonal influenza leads to a billion cases of influenza a year, and from 290,000 to 650,000 annual deaths, the World Health Organization estimates.
Scientists around the world have been working for a decade to develop a universal flu vaccine that protects against multiple strains. The latest effort helps support the Hong Kong government’s objective of becoming a regional hub for medical innovation and technology. The institute will bring the Cambridge and Seoul researchers together to work at HKU. If the effort goes as planned, perhaps the yearly jab and sore arms will become a thing of the past in the next decade or two.