Is It Possible? A Different Approach to Creating a Universal Influenza

ABSTRACT The best way to combat influenza virus infection is to prevent it. However, the continual evolution of circulating in-fluenza virus strains and the constant threat of newly emerging viruses forces the public health community to annually update seasonal influenza vaccines while stockpiling potential pandemic virus vaccines. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a “uni-versal ” influenza vaccine that affords protection against all strains. In their recent article, L. M. Schwartzman et al. (mBio 6:e01044-15, 2015, doi:10.1128/mBio.01044-15) demonstrated that intranasal immunization of mice with a cocktail of viral-like particles (VLPs) expressing distinct influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) proteins can broadly protect against infection not only with the same viral strains but also with unrelated strains. These findings suggest a promising strategy for developing a broadly protective “universal ” influenza vaccine. Outbreaks of influenza virus infections continue to cause con-siderable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Each year, in-fluenza results in 3 to 5million severe illnesses and 500,000 deaths (1), with higher estimates during a pandemic. Arguably, the best means to prevent influenza infection is through vaccination, and each year, approximately 40 to 50 % of adults (18 to 64 years of age) in the United States are vaccinated against seasonal influenza viruses (2). Unfortunately, due to the evolution of themajor oute