New Study Shows Promise for Vaccine and Lifelong Immunity Against Strains of Flu says JOHN MCKENZIE of ABC News.
Over 30,000 people in the United States die every year due to flu. Scientists have to develop new vaccines every year for new strains of viruses. In spite of all these efforts, not all the viruses are affected by the flu shots; some are immune. These yearly development of vaccines and its lack of complete effectiveness creates additional burden on our already overburdened healthcare system. In addition, these vaccines do not work for cases like bird flu. It has been a dream for all to create an universal shot that is effective for all strains and that is administered once in life time.
It is a pleasant news that with a new scientific discovery, researchers are a step closer to that vaccine. ”We have identified a common Achilles heel of all influenza viruses and this really allows us then to work on a universal vaccine that will get us lifelong immunity,” said Dr. Wayne Marasco, a researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. This discovery, finding the common target on flu strains, was made using mice infected with human influenza.
In spite of all the technological advances, over 30,000 people dyeing from flu is tragic. “All so tragic, in that a previously healthy child should so quickly be lost from this world from something which most of us think is not a big deal. Flu — but it’s a big deal,” said Dr. Ken Gershman, director of Colorado Health Department.
Marasco says that drugs will likely reach the clinical trial stage in 2010 or 2011. With this one time vaccine, we will have live saved, growth in American productivity, reduction in healthcare cost, and utilization of the freed up resources towards the development of cure for other critical diseases. A win for people, for nation, forbusinesses, and for the healthcare system.
3 users commented in " Afraid of Those Flu Shot? May be You do not Need to Worry Much Longer! "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackLawyers and regulators should take a note if this vaccine has adverse effect on few..however unwanted, as long as these are on less than 30,000 people, the medicine is better than the previous one.
I am not a believer in one pill cures all because of our phenotype diversity.
It should become more important developing proper pre-screening methodologies together with equipment to determine correct flu dosage and type per/person.
Pharmaceutical companies are in this business to make money therefore they limit their R&D to largest population number that presents similar properties and characteristics.
Translating 30,000 people into a Six Sigma number (1 million people who had flu shot, 3.4 people will not be treated properly) represent a total population of 88,235,300,000,000,000 patients. Does it look like a real number?
Dorina,
Great observation. Every life is important. So from that perspective, one death is too many. However from Six Sigma perspective, if you could reduce the numbers, that is good. There are two ways to look at it: 1) how many lives will be still lost – this would lead to further development of new medicines 2) How many additional lives will be saved – and this is where less than 30K becomes important. Every additional life saved is good. Now is this the best utilization of money to save 1 life! that is a whole new topic.
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