Scientists are reporting that a new, universal flu vaccine could be closer than many of us think, with experimental jabs now currently in the testing phase. This research is currently being carried out by two different teams, who are working on similar viral technology that would enable the vaccine to be made available. The teams, based at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland and the Crucell Vaccine Institute in Leiden, are working with research conducted on H5N1 bird flu and H1N1 swine flu, both of which first came to the fore in 2009, as well as with other previous research into flu vaccinations. But what does 'universal vaccine' mean, and how exactly would it work?

What is a 'universal flu vaccine'?

At present, flu vaccines have to be altered each year. This is because the molecule that causes the influenza virus mutates and adapts to whatever vaccinations are thrown at it. This is becoming an issue for health authorities and research teams around the world, who spend a lot of time, money, and effort each year adjusting their vaccinations. There is also the problem that the flu virus exists in a number of different strains, and so while one vaccine might protect the public from one kind of flu, it will be useless against a different strain. This was highlighted during the last flu season in the United Kingdom where, due to mutations in the virus, the flu vaccine offered to millions of people by the NHS did little to protect people from catching the virus, especially the most vulnerable, such as children and the elderly. Scientists have been working on a universal vaccine that would be applicable for all strains of flu, and that would not need to be adjusted each year to account for mutations in the virus.

How would this 'universal vaccine' work?

Currently, flu vaccinations target the specific strain of the virus – for example, last year it was H3N2. These conventional vaccines target the head of a molecule called haemagglutinin (or HA), and need to adapted each year. Universal vaccines, however, would target the stem of this molecule, which doesn't undergo the same kinds of mutations as its head. This means that, if it were perfected, the vaccine could be used to combat all types of influenza, as they all have this stem in common.

The two research teams involved in this project are going about this in different ways. The first, based at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, are trying to create their vaccine by making the stem of the HA molecule easier to identify once in the body, so that it can be dealt with faster by the immune system. This is achieved by attaching tiny balls of protein to the HA stem. The second team, at the Crucell Vaccine Institute in Leiden, have begun by removing the head of the HA molecule and altering its stem, thus allowing antibodies to deal with it more effectively once in the body.