Information on Universal flu shots and vaccines
Can pandemics and outbreaks be prevented or eliminated?
Universal flu vaccine research may make it possible to prevent a common virus from making its way around the world every year. Because scientists have to deal with several strains of the flu, any one of which may be the most popular in a given year, flu shots come with a degree of uncertainty and they require yearly application, since next year's strain will probably be different. It costs tens of millions of dollars to try and predict which flu virus will be the one to cause damage, and then a new vaccine has to be created, which also takes time. A universal vaccine that attacks proteins common to flu, including the H1N1 (Swine flu) virus, would make it possible to get a single flu shot that would last a number of years. The cost of the flu could become much more manageable, preventing many deaths each year and also reducing the suffering and lost time experienced by people who get hit hard by influenza.
The biggest concern related to a universal vaccine is that it still may be necessary to get shots later. Some kind of flu from bats, seals, ducks, or other birds could make its way into the human population, and then you would need another shot. Right now I can almost hear the idiots saying "I already got a shot 3 years ago, why should I pay twenty bucks for a new one," even if it is a fatal case going around that will bring more harm to relatives than themselves.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: So far universal flu vaccines are in testing and development and may not be available to the general public. Naturally the danger is that the vaccine works very well for a long time, and then a new strain from birds or bats comes along and just lays waste to the general population in the manner of Steven King's The Stand.