Flu Vaccine #3

INFLUENZA VACCINES: considerable effort is being devoted to create large quantities of vaccine to fight a potential bird flu pandemic. Vaccines rely on the immune system to fight the disease. A vaccine primes the immune system by exposing the body to antigens present on the infecting agent. Influenza vaccines have to be regularly updated because the influenza virus constantly changes its surface antigens. The flu virus is a moving target, antigenically speaking, and so vaccine manufacture lags viral innovation. The problem with vaccinating against a flu pandemic is that we do not know what the new pandemic influenza strain will be like. Avian influenza vaccines might not work against a novel pandemic viral strain. A vaccination program will require a huge investment of resources. There is a race on to develop vaccines very fast and one option is DNA vaccines. DNA vaccination works by introducing DNA that codes for the antigen. The host cells create copies of the antigen which provoke an immune response thereby priming the person's immune system against a future attack by the real pathogen.