A robust “one-shot” flu vaccine could be in sight after scientists discovered that almost half the adults in Britain have strong immune defences against the virus.
A universal flu jab that could ward off most varieties of seasonal flu and even strains that have not evolved yet is a holy grail for medical experts.
Andrew Hayward, professor of epidemiology at University College, London, and colleagues at universities around the world analysed the records of 1,400 unvaccinated English adults over four years. Professor Hayward’s previous research has found that about 18 per cent of people who do not receive the flu vaccine are infected with the virus each year, but up to three quarters of these cases have no symptoms.
This time they found that 43