New bird flu vaccine could tackle multiple variants with one shot - Nature Podcast
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00:46 A multi-variant avian flu vaccine that could enhance pandemic preparedness
A vaccine capable of protecting against multiple strains of avian influenza virus may be a step closer, according to new research. The H5 subtype of avian influenza viruses has spilled over into mammals and is particularly concerning to researchers due to the risk of them evolving to cause another pandemic. But because there are multiple variants of these viruses, it has been hard to pre-prepare vaccines. Now, a team have used information on how these viruses evolved over time to design a vaccine that in animal studies provided protection against different H5 strains. They hope their approach could be applied to create stockpiles of vaccine that could be used in the event of a pandemic, regardless of the strain that causes it.
Research Article: Kok et al.
10:53 Research Highlights
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13:34 Briefing Chat
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