fbpx How many B antigens should a good influenza vaccine have? | Science in the net

How many B antigens should a good influenza vaccine have?

di redazione
Pubblicato il 27/12/2013Read time: 2 mins
Global Health
Vaccine

The vaccine against seasonal influenza is called trivalent, because it contains viruses representing three influenza strains: one A/H1N1, one A/H3N2, and one B. the single B-lineage antigen included is the one that is predicted to circulate in the related season. However, this means that some mismatch between the B antigen in the vaccine and the B antigen actually circulating may occur, this being a problem since cross-protection by immunization against the other lineage is expected to be low.

In order to minimize such mismatch, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested using quadrivalent vaccines that include both influenza B virus antigenic lineages, called Victoria and Yamagata. A study published on Vaccine estimated the benefit that a quadrivalent vaccine could bring compared to a trivalent one, concluding that the additional protection provided by including a second lineage of influenza B could result in a modest reduction in influenza-associated outcomes.

Another study, published on the New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated the efficacy of a candidate inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine in children 3 to 8 years of age. Their results provided evidence that the quadrivalent vaccine tested prevents influenza associated with the A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B Victoria strains individually. The low number of B Yamagata confirmed infections did not allow to properly estimate the efficacy of the vaccine against this strain but the immune response was high enough to suggest a similar efficacy against other strains.


Scienza in rete è un giornale senza pubblicità e aperto a tutti per garantire l’indipendenza dell’informazione e il diritto universale alla cittadinanza scientifica. Contribuisci a dar voce alla ricerca sostenendo Scienza in rete. In questo modo, potrai entrare a far parte della nostra comunità e condividere il nostro percorso. Clicca sul pulsante e scegli liberamente quanto donare! Anche una piccola somma è importante. Se vuoi fare una donazione ricorrente, ci consenti di programmare meglio il nostro lavoro e resti comunque libero di interromperla quando credi.


  • 10402 reads

prossimo articolo

Discovered a New Carbon-Carbon Chemical Bond

di Chiara D'Errico
Pubblicato il 16/10/2024

A group of researchers from Hokkaido University has provided the first experimental evidence of the existence of a new type of chemical bond: the single-electron covalent bond, theorized by Linus Pauling in 1931 but never verified until now. Using derivatives of hexaarylethane (HPE), the scientists were able to stabilize this unusual bond between two carbon atoms and study it with spectroscopic techniques and X-ray diffraction. This discovery opens new perspectives in understanding bond chemistry and could lead to the development of new materials with innovative applications.

In the cover image: study of the sigma bond with X-ray diffraction. Credits: Yusuke Ishigaki

Chemistry

After nearly a year of review, on September 25, a study was published in Nature that has sparked a lot of discussion, especially among chemists. A group of researchers from Hokkaido University synthesized a molecule that experimentally demonstrated the existence of a new type of chemical bond, something that does not happen very often.