• Question: How do scientists know how to make a flu vaccine if viruses can be different every year?

    Asked by dalvindk to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 16 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by flossieqb.
    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi @dalvindk and @flossieqb
      This is a really good question. Unfortunately, the flu vaccine will not always work on every new strain of flu, but it’s still better to be immunized against the strain scientists know about than not be immunized at all. If the new strain of flu is similar enough then the vaccine might still work on it. Otherwise, when immunologists (scientists who investigate viruses like flu) get a sample of the new flu they have to make a new vaccine.

      Hope this answers your question.

    • Photo: Damien Hall

      Damien Hall answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      As far as I know, the vaccines are also different every year! Not completely different, but then the ‘flu virus isn’t completely different every year either. So I believe you can start from the same basic building-blocks for the vaccine and change it to fit this year’s virus as well as you can. You’d need to ask a medical scientist for the full facts, though!

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