# 5957
Every few months the media barrages us with stories about the latest step forward towards the holy grail of influenza research; a one-time universal flu shot.
One that would protect against all strains of influenza and last – if not a lifetime – many years.
Many of these `news’ reports are based on `forward looking statements’ or press releases by universities, research organizations, and other entities.
Often the media fails to mention in these reports that while progress is being made, there remain substantial obstacles to overcome, and any universal vaccine is still likely years away.
After all, why complicate a perfectly good story with downer details like that?
In Part II of his series on the challenge of influenza, Australian Nobel Prize winning scientist Professor Peter Doherty outlines some of the approaches being used in the hunt for a universal flu jab, and some of the substantial difficulties that still lie ahead.
As Professor Doherty states in his article::
`The science of vaccine creation is complex, technical and incomplete and the road to a universal flu vaccine is long.’
11 November 2011, 2.33pm AEST
Search for the elusive universal flu vaccine
Yesterday, in Prof. Peter Doherty On Influenza’s Threat, we looked at Part 1 of this series.
