Despite push for a universal flu vaccine, the ‘holy grail’ stays out of reach
It is the holy grail of influenza science: a universal flu vaccine that could provide protection against virtually all strains instead of a select few.
A burst of recent headlines have suggested that we might get one soon. Just last week, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released a strategic plan for the development of a universal flu vaccine, prompting the White House science office to proclaim on Twitter that the goal is “closer than ever.”
Experts, however, say we’re really not there yet. And to be honest, we can’t necessarily even see there from here.
“I don’t think we’re that close at all,” Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy. “I think the kind of work that’s gone on has been critical and important, but it’s only the first 5 feet
