The MRNA flu vaccine is currently under development and may be available in the next flu season

The MRNA vaccine has entered the global arena this year as the technology behind some of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines. But mRNA technology is not new. It’s been around for years and we just couldn’t find a suitable application.

Given the success of the mRNAPfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, several companies are considering using this technology to produce new types of influenza vaccines.

Pfizer Presentation They are once again partnering with BioNTech to work on a “better” flu vaccine that uses mRNA technology. “The multi-year partnership is built on BioNTech’s RNA technology and could significantly speed up the vaccine manufacturing process and eliminate much of the speculation of adapting the right formulation to the season’s key strains. “Pfizer said. Press release..

Well, Pfizer, modern, When Sanofi Is in Phase I clinical trials of the mRNA influenza vaccine, and several other companies are planning to do the same.

But why do we need the mRNA influenza vaccine? Also, could it be more effective than existing influenza vaccines? Here’s what you need to know:

How the current influenza vaccine works

The flu vaccine process begins with a group of researchers who analyze the data and at least try to make a decision. 6 months Dr. Thomas Russo, MD, a professor at the University at Buffalo at the University at Buffalo and responsible for infectious diseases, pre-explains which strains of influenza will be most predominant in the upcoming influenza season.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Three Different Influenza Vaccine Production Methods in the United States — Egg-Based, Cell-Based, and Recombinant.

Most influenza vaccines used in the United States are egg-based. The process, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Provides vaccine manufacturers with candidates for egg-grown vaccine virus (CVV). These CVVs are then injected into fertilized chicken eggs and cultured for several days to give the virus a chance to replicate. That is, make a copy of yourself. The liquid is then removed from the egg and either killed (in the case of the inactivated influenza virus, which is a flu shot) or weakened (if the manufacturer makes nasal sprays for the flu). From there, the antigen is purified, tested, packaged and distributed.

Vaccination against cell-based flu works slightly differently. CDC provides manufacturers with intracellularly grown CVV. These CVVs are placed in cells taken from mammals and given time to replicate. The fluid is then collected, purified, packaged and processed.

Recombinant influenza vaccines are made with a gene that provides cells with genetic instructions to make the surface protein found in the influenza virus called hemagglutinin (HA). That antigen that provokes your immune system to make antibodies to fight the flu.

The genes for making antigens are Baculovirus, A type of insect virus that does not make people sick. The baculovirus then helps to obtain genetic instructions for turning the HA antigen of the influenza virus into cells of the host cell line and initiates the production of the HA antigen. It is then grown, collected, refined and packaged.

Influenza vaccine Takes 6 months to create, Make this a long process.

How effective are the current influenza vaccines?

Current influenza vaccines have been hit or missed, and their effectiveness is far below that of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. CDC has data For the efficacy of some past influenza vaccines, it ranges from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 60%. (By comparison, the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 95%.. )

“Our flu vaccine isn’t very effective,” says Dr. Russo. “Some of them are long production times in guessing what circulates. Sometimes we think we’re wrong.”

What do doctors think about the potential of the mRNA flu vaccine?

They support it. “The development rate of mRNA vaccines is much faster than current influenza vaccine manufacturing technology, so mRNA vaccines can help us decide which strain to make later and may give us a better vaccine.” Amesh, an infectious disease expert, said. A. Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Senior Scholar, Ph.D. in Adalja Medicine.

Dr. Adalja points out that many of the vaccines currently in use use technology from the 1940s that required a “long lead time” to select influenza strains. “Also, the mRNA influenza vaccine may have higher efficacy and protection against all infections, in contrast to current vaccines. The benefits of current vaccines are primarily serious. It’s for flu, “says Dr. Adalja.

Dr. Russo describes the high efficacy of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine as the “promising” of the mRNA influenza vaccine. “It has a promise that mRNA technology can do the same for influenza vaccines,” he says.

However, infectious disease expert William Schaffner, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University, says much needs to happen before the mRNA influenza vaccine reaches the masses. “Obviously, mRNA technology is attractive for creating better flu vaccines,” he says. “But if we had a candidate for an mRNA influenza vaccine, what would all of us, especially the FDA, require before we license it?” The vaccine should be effective and safe. Must be proven and can take some time in the absence of a pandemic, he says.

There was a lot of talk about the readiness of the new mRNA flu vaccine as early as next year, but Dr. Schaffner says it will not always be available to the masses.

This article is accurate at the time of the press. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses rapidly and the scientific community gains a better understanding of the new coronavirus, some information may have changed since the last update. We aim to keep all the stories up to date, CDC, Who, And yours Local Public Health Service To keep up to date with the latest news. Always consult your doctor for professional medical advice.

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