The flu is a formidable opponent. Each year seasonal vaccines are deployed to fight the virus, but in the U.S. the flu still kills tens of thousands of people. In fact, in 2017-1018, the U.S. had the deadliest flu season in years, the deadliest flu season for children in the U.S. since the CDC started to track flu deaths and hospitalizations in 2004, and record breaking hospitalization rates.
Each year, health officials try to predict what strain of flu they will need to combat. However, what if we could take the guesswork out of seasonal flu protection? Is a universal flu vaccine the answer and, if so, is it even possible?
Watch this episode of the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus as we welcomed Dr. James Crowe. He discussed the challenges of developing a universal vaccine for the flu and discuss the recent discoveries that highlight the progress made in this field.
