Public health experts engage in a yearly guessing game to predict the dominant strain of influenza, resulting in annual flu shots that offer limited protection. However, scientists at Duke University are developing a groundbreaking solution – a universal flu vaccine that could provide longer-lasting and more encompassing coverage against multiple flu strains.

Led by Garnett Kelsoe, an immunology professor at Duke University School of Medicine, the research team has been working alongside collaborators from Harvard University for seven years to develop a universal flu vaccine. Their recent discovery of a group of antibodies present in both humans and animals, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, holds promise for unprecedented protection against the ever-changing flu virus.

Kelsoe explains that the team's aim is to create an antibody capable of targeting not just the current flu strain but also those that have circulated in the past and even those limited to animals. This wider range of coverage could drastically reduce the number of yearly flu shots required and potentially lessen the severity of illnesses, ultimately saving lives.

One challenge with the current flu vaccine is that it is developed based on predictions made by the World Health Organization regarding the upcoming dominant strain. However, these predictions are not always accurate, leading to an average vaccine efficiency of around 50%. In contrast, a universal flu vaccine would offer a more reliable defense against a broader array of flu strains.

The team at Duke University, in collaboration with researchers from Harvard, utilized cyro electron microscopy to determine how the newly discovered antibodies attach to the flu virus. In mouse trials, the introduction of these antibodies resulted in the mice surviving even when exposed to high doses of influenza.

The urgency for a more effective flu vaccine is evident as the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports an increase in flu-related deaths. Currently, flu vaccinations in the state are at their lowest level in the past five years. Kelsoe believes that a universal flu shot, providing extended protection and reducing the need for yearly shots, would mitigate vaccine hesitancy and restore people's faith in the efficacy of vaccines.

Moving forward, the research team plans to test their findings in primates within the next two years. Positive results from these trials could pave the way for human trials, bringing us one step closer to a game-changing universal flu vaccine.

While the development of a universal flu vaccine is underway, Kelsoe emphasizes the importance of continuing to receive annual flu shots that still offer valuable protection against sickness and reduce the risk of death.