Why vaccine-makers fear flu jabs may fail this winter
Experts say lack of data on dominant strains of influenza could lead to fatal vaccine mismatch
Fears are growing that the NHS will be overwhelmed this winter as vaccine makers warn that flu jabs may not prove effective.
Influenza vaccines are “typically formulated to protect against several strains of the virus”, explained The Independent. But global influenza surveillance conducted through the World Health Organization (WHO) has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a lack of data on which flu variants are likely to pose the greatest threats in the coming months.
The UN health agency issued advice in February on what to include in this year’s flu vaccines for countries in the northern hemisphere. But according to The Telegraph’s science editor Sarah Knapton, “vaccine makers say that global genetic sequencing of flu had dropped by up to 94% in the months preceding the decision”, as labs were repurposed to sequence Covid data.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And “the mass cancellation of flights, as countries closed their borders and imposed travel restrictions, has also led to a 62% drop in shipments of influenza surveillance samples”.
Dr Beverly Taylor of pharmaceutical company Seqirus - which provides the UK with flu jabs - told The Telegraph that the shortage of data had “reduced the opportunity to look at which vaccines would give the best overall protection and the best coverage of all the circulating viruses”.
This lack of information “could potentially see a mismatch for at least one of the subtypes”, and “that’s cause for concern”, she said.
In 2015, a mismatched flu jab contributed to a massive spike in mortality rates, with 28,189 excess deaths recorded - the total number of deaths above the average count for a given period - and the first fall in life expectancy in England and Wales for two decades.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
With natural immunity to influenza in the general population now low as a result of Covid lockdowns and social distancing, the Academy of Medical Sciences has forecast that flu could kill up to 60,000 people this winter.
The Department of Health and Social Care announced in July that the biggest flu jab scheme “in history” would be rolled out this year, with 35 million people expected to be offered the vaccines.
The Telegraph reported last week “Britain’s vaccine mega-factory will seek to combine flu and Covid jabs into a single shot”, in order to save time and make future booster programmes more convenient.
Dr Matthew Duchars, chief executive of the government-funded Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre, told the paper: “If you can put them all into one then that's obviously preferable.”
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Long Covid: study shows damage to brain's 'control centre'
The Explainer Research could help scientists understand long-term effects of Covid-19 as well as conditions such as MS and dementia
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel, UN agree to Gaza pauses for polio vaccinations
Speed Read Gaza's first case of polio in 25 years was confirmed last week in a 10-month-old boy who is now partially paralyzed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
FDA OKs new Covid vaccine, available soon
Speed read The CDC recommends the new booster to combat the widely-circulating KP.2 strain
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mpox: how dangerous is new health emergency?
Today's Big Question Spread of potentially deadly sub-variant more like early days of HIV than Covid, say scientists
By The Week UK Published
-
What is POTS and why is it more common now?
The explainer The condition affecting young women
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Brexit, Matt Hancock and black swans: five takeaways from Covid inquiry report
The Explainer UK was 'unprepared' for pandemic and government 'failed' citizens with flawed response, says damning report
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Should masks be here to stay?
Talking Points New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a mask ban. Here's why she wants one — and why it may not make sense.
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Covid might be to blame for an uptick in rare cancers
The explainer The virus may be making us more susceptible to certain cancers
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published