There are vaccines available now which may be more effective-vaccines not produced in eggs, such as cell-based and recombinant vaccines, as well as high-dose vaccines for older adults.Īnother approach would be to eliminate the extra B strain that is in the vaccine, one that has not circulated for several years, and replace it with an extra type A virus. It is important that we take these steps while we work on a supraseasonal vaccine. There are some changes that could result in some degree of improvement sooner. Is there anything we can do in the interim to improve vaccine effectiveness? However, this will take many years to develop and fully test. Ultimately, we need a supraseasonal vaccine, or a vaccine that covers a large subset of influenza viruses. The National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies have recognized the need for improving influenza vaccines to have more reliable effectiveness. What do we need to do to improve the vaccine? In some years, there may be two predominant virus variants for a single subtype, and the incorrect variant may be selected. But there are still problems in producing a highly effective vaccine. ![]() That analysis is based on antigenic, molecular and immunologic studies, which have improved greatly in the last 10 years. Strain selection is based on analysis of viruses detected in surveillance. Often, a variant different from the one targeted by the vaccine emerges during this time. That means a decision about which strains to target needs to be made six or more months before the vaccine is used. This is done twice yearly-once in September or October ahead of the following Southern Hemisphere winter, which usually begins in June, and once in February or March for the following Northern Hemisphere winter. Because of changes in the circulating viruses, strains included in the vaccine need to be updated regularly. are grown in eggs, the traditional method of production. Inactivated vaccine remains the main way we reduce influenza infections. How are influenza vaccines currently produced? In the U.S., vaccine uptake has been mainly stable in most groups during the last decade, with the highest uptake among older adults followed by children. In the U.S., the major impact of the variants in various populations, both in terms of illness and death, has been confirmed. We have also increased our ability to carefully characterize these viruses and identify new variants as they emerge. That included significant progress in our ability to follow circulating viruses both national and internationally. Can you summarize those findings?Įnormous progress was made in tracking influenza in the 10 years following the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic through the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper looks back at the study of influenza and vaccine effectiveness over the past decade. Study author Arnold Monto, professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, discusses the findings. The best prevention against flu is the influenza vaccine, but its effectiveness varies year to year and remains relatively modest.Īccording to a new study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, while there have been major advances over the last decade in an effort to improve the effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine, innovative approaches are needed to significantly improve vaccine effectiveness.
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