Every year, the flu shot is something of a gamble.
Scientists have to figure out what the most active strains are, then create a vaccine around them. Sometimes, there are shortages and delays in shipping and manufacturing, which can keep people from getting vaccinated.
But a new study gives us hope that those headaches may soon go the way of smallpox.
Scientists from the U.K.'s Oxford University tested a new universal vaccine on 11 healthy patients, then exposed those 11 and another 11, who did not receive the shot, to the flu. "Fewer of the people who were vaccinated got flu than the people who weren't vaccinated," researcher Sarah Gilbert told British paper The Guardian.
If all goes as planned, the shot could perhaps protect people from influenza for about 10 years -- rather like the tetanus vaccine. The new vaccine would work by prompting your body to manufacture more T-cells, immune-system workers that can attack viruses.
A universal flu shot would mean that when we're suddenly confronted with a new and deadly strain of flu -- like last year's H1N1 -- there won't be a mad rush to develop a vaccine that could help prevent an epidemic.
Though the flu may seem like an inconvenience for most of us, it can be dangerous, even deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seasonal flu has caused about 3,000 to 49,000 deaths a year from 1976 to 2007.
A universal vaccine could help prevent flu and also limit the spread of the virus.
But don't roll up your sleeves quite yet. There's still a lot more research to be done, and the study size is very small. Still, Surge Desk is cautiously optimistic about getting a flu shot once a decade instead of once a year.
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