Boost for new vaccine to end annual flu jabs

TIME UP? The yearly injection A VACCINE that protects for life against all strains of flu has been successfully tested on mice.

It could end hit-or-miss annual jabs by targeting a part of the virus that varies least – and even eradicate the common cold.

Scientists found mice staved off a potentially lethal dose of a flu virus that circulated in 1934.

Current jabs help the body to recognise toxic chemicals called antigens. The new one instead looks for tiny bits of these antigens known as epitopes.

Dr Craig Thompson of Oxford University said the new approach “could revolutionise the way we develop vaccines”.