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

Boris Johnson flu
Boris Johnson receives a flu vaccine in Downing Street in October 2019
(Image credit: Jeremy Selwyn/Pool/Getty Images)

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.

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