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Media Advisory
Monday, April 8, 2019
What
In a new series of articles, experts in immunology, virology, epidemiology and vaccine development describe in detail efforts to improve seasonal flu vaccines and develop a universal flu vaccine. The 15 articles are part of a supplement in the April 15 issue of Infectious Diseases Journal. Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, and scientists supported by NIAID, are among the associated authors. Barney S. Graham, MD, Ph.D., deputy director of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center (VRC), and Michelle C. Crank, MD, head of the Center for Translational Science at the CRV's Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, have edited the supplement.
In an introductory article, Anthony S. Fauci, director of NIAID, and Catharine I. Paules, infectious disease physician at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Penn State Health, highlight the public health need for improved influenza vaccines . nearly 646,000 deaths each year worldwide due to seasonal flu. They are also discussing the possibility of another influenza pandemic, which occurs when a new influenza virus that most people do not have immunity appears unpredictably. The influenza pandemic of 1918 caused between 50 and 100 million deaths.
The current seasonal flu vaccine reduces hospitalizations and deaths related to influenza. However, people must be vaccinated every year because of the constant evolution of the flu virus. In some years, the vaccine confers less than optimal protection against the infection. Drs. Fauci and Paules note that recent scientific advances, combined with scientists' efforts to coordinate and accelerate their research activities, have given unprecedented impetus to the development of a so-called "universal" influenza vaccine. Such a vaccine would provide long-term protection against several seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses.
The supplement articles describe in detail current research and what remains to be learned about influenza, including how the human immune system responds to influenza infection and vaccination. Experts are also discussing how such research could influence vaccine design approaches and help the public health community better prepare for the next influenza pandemic.
In conclusion, Drs. Crank and Graham, along with John R. Mascola, director of CRV, note: "Vaccineology is undergoing a revolution thanks to the scientific and technological breakthroughs of the last decade and we hope to find the resolution, the political will and the new plans for the future. 39; company. take full advantage of these new opportunities and prepare for the next pandemic. "
Articles
NIAID expert supplement articles include:
CI Paules and AS Fauci. Influenza vaccines: good, but we can do better. Infectious Diseases Journal DOI: 10.1093 / infdis / jiy633 (2019)
CM Saad-Roy et al. Dynamic Perspectives on the Search for a Universal Influenza Vaccine. Infectious Diseases Journal DOI: 10.1093 / infdis / jiz044 (2019)
DM Morens and JK Taubenberger. Make universal influenza vaccines: lessons from the 1918 pandemic. Infectious Diseases Journal DOI: 10.1093 / infdis / jiy728 (2019)
MC Crank et al. Preparing for the Next Influenza Pandemic: Developing a Universal Influenza Vaccine. Infectious Diseases Journal DOI: 10.1093 / infdis / jiz043 (2019)
M Kanekiyo et al. New technologies of vaccine design and distribution. Infectious Diseases Journal DOI: 10.1093 / infdis / jiy745 (2019)
who
Anthony S. Fauci, Director of NIAID, is available for comment.
Contact
To schedule interviews, please contact Jennifer Routh at (301) 402-1663, [email protected].
NIAID conducts and supports research – at NIH, in the United States, and around the world – to investigate the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases and to develop better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat these diseases. NIAID press releases, fact sheets and other documents are available on the NIAID website.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
The NIH, the country's medical research agency, has 27 institutes and centers and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the lead federal agency that leads and supports basic, clinical and translational medical research. She studies causes, treatments and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information on NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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