SA flu vaccine ’success’
The influenza vaccine, which is in its early trial stage, has been boosted by a natural sugar adjuvant.
The adjuvant amplifies the immune system’s response to the virus to increase the effectiveness of vaccines. Research team leader and director of diabetes and endocrinology Professor Nikolai Petrovsky said the sugar-based adjuvant’s effect was dramatic.
“Our data already shows our adjuvant enhances the immune response against the common flu virus and we expect it to work equally well for an avian (bird) flu vaccine,” he said.
“The sugar is acting like a starter motor on a car . . . effectively it kick starts the immune system. Adding our sugar-based adjuvant makes the vaccine over 100 times effective.”
Scientists worldwide have been searching for a suitable adjuvant to boost the flu vaccine’s effectiveness for decades without success.
Professor Petrovsky said improved flu vaccines were the key to defending Australia against an influenza pandemic. One woman from South Australia died from the influenza A virus last week.
On Sunday, a woman, 84, died after a flu outbreak in her Ballarat nursing home. The woman was the 10th person to die from flu this winter in Australia.