Flu News Friday: The Latest in Influenza Vaccines

4 min readFeb 19, 2021

February 19, 2020

1. Mutations in the Hemagglutinin Stalk Domain Do Not Permit Escape from a Protective, Stalk-Based Vaccine-Induced Immune Response in the Mouse Model

Roubidoux et al., American Society for Microbiology / February 16, 2021

Universal influenza vaccines or broadly protective influenza vaccines most often target conserved viral epitopes, such as the hemagglutinin (HA) stalk domain, while seasonal influenza vaccines often target the hypervariable HA head domain. Antigenic drift in the HA head is well studied, while antigenic drift in the HA stalk and associated vaccine responses are less studied. The study results suggest while mutations in the HA stalk due to immunological pressure are possible, they do not evade a polyclonal, stalk-based response to a vaccine. The study also adds to the growing literature that a stalk-based vaccine immune response is diverse enough to protect against viruses with HA stalk mutations, giving rise to less of a possibility of viral escape and a more “universal” vaccine.

2. Improving pandemic preparedness through better, faster influenza vaccines

Newland et al., Expert Review of Vaccines / February 12, 2021

Timely availability of an effective influenza vaccine will be critical to mitigate the next influenza pandemic. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has re-exposed these gaps in preparedness and response, previous investments into flexible influenza vaccine technologies proved to be critical to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development. This article reviews the role of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in addressing these challenges for pandemic influenza vaccine preparedness, one of the strategies being the work to develop a universal influenza vaccine. The article emphasizes the importance of sustained funding, as well as interagency and cross-sectoral collaboration to overcome the challenges.

3. Promoting versatile vaccine development for emerging pandemics

Monrad et al., Nature / February 11, 2021

The rapid development and deployment of versatile vaccines and other medical countermeasures are essential, as we have seen during COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, the authors discuss the role of platform vaccines and prototype pathogen research in modern vaccine development. Pathogen prototypes can inform future vaccine design for similar pathogens, and may even lead to the development of universal influenza vaccines or vaccines targeting a conserved antigen. Previous pathogen-specific funding approaches can be improved to be more proactive and adequately promote vaccine R&D for emerging pandemics; this should involve collaboration among all stakeholders in vaccine development and ensuring vaccine investment decisions reflect the social value of preparedness, beyond the market value.

4. A universal Covid vaccine may be our best means of escape

Anjana Ahuja, Financial Times / February 16, 2021

The scramble to update vaccines that have barely been rolled out is now pushing some towards a more ambitious goal: universal “variant-proof” vaccines, able to fend off different varieties of the same virus family. Along with the future possibility of universal influenza vaccines, a jab that protects against all Sars-Cov-2 variants — present and future — might be possible.

5. Antibody Focusing to Conserved Sites of Vulnerability: The Immunological Pathways for ‘Universal’ Influenza Vaccines

Maya Sangesland & Daniel Lingwood, Vaccines / February 5, 2021

This article reviews the current challenges of developing universal influenza vaccines, particularly with respect to refocusing the immune system and antibody response away from the Hemagglutinin (HA) head, to the HA stalk and other alternative targets such as the Neuraminidase (NA) and matrix 2 ectodomain (M2e), in order to elicit broadly protective responses. Focus on these more conserved regions requires strategically overcoming their immunological subdominant role during humoral immunity.

6. The Next Generation of Influenza Vaccines: Towards a Universal Solution

McMillan et al., Vaccines / January 7, 2021

Scientists from the University of Queensland discuss the current efforts toward next-generation influenza vaccines — influenza vaccines that would provide long-lasting, broad protection against pandemic and seasonal influenza strains. The authors review the different types of UIV candidates — including traditional inactivated vaccines, as well as nucleic acid-based vaccines and recombinant vector vaccines. The authors also propose a potentially more “feasible” approach, the addition of new components into existing vaccines to boost the breadth of protection without compromising protection against matched circulating strains.

7. Funding Information

Writing a Winning Application — Write To Excite

National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases Funding News / February 17, 2021

Reissued Opportunity To Join the Human Immunology Project Consortium