Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) choose the specific strains to be targeted with the annual flu shot based upon an examination of thousands of influenza virus samples collected from patients worldwide. The selection process is not easy, and the challenges involved in choosing the most effective formulation of the flu vaccine in any given year are largely to blame for the flu shot’s limited effectiveness in recent years.
“HINT” Technology May Improve the Identification Annual Flu Vaccines
Now, however, scientists may have found a more effective way to choose vaccines for future seasons. Using new “HINT” technology, scientists believe that it may now be possible to better identify the flu strains that most likely to infect people year to year. As explained by the CDC:
“HINT, which is short for ‘high-content imaging-based neutralization test, has made it possible for scientists to identify specific changes in circulating H3N2 viruses that help the viruses evade immunity associated with vaccination or infection. Antigenic characterization of H3N2 viruses has become increasingly challenging in recent years. The new HINT methodology represents a major step forward in overcoming those challenges, with the potential to speed up and improve selection of candidate vaccine viruses for the H3N2 component of seasonal flu vaccines.”
While the current method for choosing the annual flu shot protects millions of people against the disease each year, finding a more effective vaccine could have immeasurable benefits not just in the United States, but worldwide. As a result, the development of HINT technology has the potential to be one of the most significant developments in vaccination technology in recent history.
About the Annual Flu Shot
In the United States, flu season typically runs from the fall through the spring, with some flu seasons lingering into May. The annual flu shot is a vaccine that protects against the flu by building up antibodies that can fight off the specific strain of the disease contained in the vaccine. Since it takes about two weeks for these antibodies to develop, the CDC recommends getting the flu shot in the early fall, and back-to-school time is a good time to make sure that all family members are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
Like all CDC-recommended vaccines, the annual flu shot is generally safe, and most recipients only experience mild pain and other limited side effects following immunization. However, injuries and adverse reactions are possible, including shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) and anaphylaxis. For more information on possible flu shot injuries, you can read: Can You Suffer an Injury Following the Flu Vaccine?
Contact National Vaccine Lawyer Leah V. Durant
Vaccine lawyer Leah V. Durant represents flu shot recipients nationwide in claims under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with SIRVA, GBS, anaphylaxis, or any other serious injury or complication following a flu shot, you can call 202-800-1711 or contact us online for a free initial consultation.
Leah Durant Bio
Experienced litigation attorney Leah Durant focuses on representing clients in complex vaccine litigation matters. Leah Durant is the owner and principal attorney of the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, a litigation firm based in Washington, DC. Leah Durant and her staff represent clients and their families who suffer from vaccine-related injuries, adverse vaccine reactions and vaccine-related deaths. The Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC is dedicated to assisting individuals in recovering the highest level of compensation as quickly and efficiently as possible. To learn more, contact vaccine attorney Leah Durant today.