COVEER STTORY/CORRONNAAVVIRIRUUSS
countries. And there is no vaccine available. So those in rich countries are surviving only on symptomatic treatment.
Since the world was sure that the next pandemic would be a flu pandemic, efforts have centred around developing the universal flu vaccine—the one which will give protection against existing and future strains of flu. The US-based National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases is leading one of the initiatives to develop a universal flu vaccine.
“At present, seasonal influenza vaccines protect only against the existing strains of H1N1, H3N2 and two influenza B viruses. The next generation vaccine will provide protection against more than these four viruses and hopefully against other circulating strains and also the future ones that may emerge,” Jennifer Gordon, influenza vaccines program officer with US’ National Institutes of Health, told
The vaccine will provide 75 per cent immunity; existing vaccines are providing only 10-60 per cent immunity.
There are several probable candidates for a universal flu vaccine—many are under clinical trials and one has already reached the last phase, the human trial, as animal studies have shown positive results. “However, we don’t know when the final product will be out and what it would cost,” says Gordon. WHO and philanthropic bodies are funding such research initiatives. Though there are many public and private initiatives to develop a universal flu vaccine, there are only a few projects in infancy to find a vaccine for coronaviruses.
But whatever be the nature of the next pandemic—be it a coronavirus or a flu virus—what would be immediately required for the world is to contain the spread of the virus from one place to another.