The development of a Universal Flu Vaccine has long been an ambition for scientists and medical innovation, which could transform the vaccination landscape of the future. Fortunately, this future may now be closer than ever as several scientific groups become nearer to developing a Universal Flu Vaccine.
There are multiple organisations currently undertaking research to develop Universal Flu Vaccines, which will either boost the current annual flu vaccine, or will replace it by offering protection to a broader range of flu strains. Not all approaches will produce a vaccine with universal coverage. A true Universal Flu Vaccine targets the parts of the flu virus structure that do not change in any strain. As a result, they have the potential to offer protection from all annual and pandemic strains and could replace the annual flu vaccine entirely.
Governments and the World Health Organisation have set 2020 as the year a Universal Flu Vaccine should be available. The UK Government has stated its ambition to make the UK a vaccine manufacturing centre of excellence. At the end of 2017, the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Deal pledged an additional £66m in funding, to develop a new Vaccines Development & Manufacturing Centre for the UK.
A key focus of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health in America, is the development of a Universal Flu Vaccine that would provide long-lasting protection against multiple strains of flu. Legislators are calling for action and funding to expedite research, and several studies are underway.