As the tiny hands grasped my shoulder for an impromptu snuggle, the unmistakable sound of a nasally sneeze left no doubt as to who was in control – and by whom I’d been lovingly assaulted, with a telltale streak of snot adorning my PJs. I scheduled an appointment for her to receive the flu vaccination the next day.
In late July, the team unveiled…
While shielding employees from seasonal flu is a crucial goal, our primary objective is actually to safeguard society as a whole from a potentially far more catastrophic outcome: the emergence of a novel strain of flu that could trigger another devastating pandemic. While nothing has happened yet, it’s increasingly becoming a pressing concern that feels ever more attainable.
Because the virus mutates rapidly, annual flu vaccinations are crucial, with formulations updated regularly to match the prevailing strain.
Rare and unpredictable genetic mutations can occur when multiple influenza viruses converge within the same host. eight single-stranded RNA segments. When two distinct viruses happen to infect the same host cell, a phenomenon called genetic recombination occurs.
While predicting exact outcomes is impossible, there’s always a possibility that this new virus may spread rapidly or cause more severe illness than its predecessors, raising concerns about its potential impact.
The concern is that farm workers infected with seasonal flu may also contract avian influenza from cattle. Individuals who are infected with the flu virus may unintentionally become carriers of potentially deadly new strains, inadvertently spreading them to those around them? Thomas Peacock, a virologist at the Pirbright Institute in Woking, UK, notes that this is exactly how pandemics typically start.
