The ever-mutating influenza virus means the vaccine must constantly be changed. What9s more, the so-called seasonal vaccine isn9t particularly effective, with only 20% to 60% of people who receive it dodging illness because their immune systems have been properly trained. At an unusual meeting last month in Nashville, leading flu researchers met to discuss the obstacles to making a "universal" flu vaccine that works against the majority of strains that infect humans and lasts for years, if not a lifetime. One problem is that the seasonal vaccines aim to trigger antibodies against the top part, or head, of the hemagglutinin protein—one of two proteins that stud the surface of the virus. But that portion mutates frequently, and studies have shown that antibodies against the other surface protein, neuraminidase, better correlate with protection. Many experimental vaccines have attempted to exploit the fact that the bottom part of the hemagglutinin protein does not change much from strain to strain, but those preparations haven9t proved potent enough. There9s also a problem called imprinting, in which the first flu virus or vaccine a child receives can influence how they respond to all other flu infections for life. The meeting goers discussed many novel approaches to move the field forward.

中文翻译：

---

通用流感疫苗是“炼金术士的梦想”

不断变异的流感病毒意味着必须不断更换疫苗。更重要的是，所谓的季节性疫苗并不是特别有效，只有 20% 到 60% 的接种者能够躲避疾病，因为他们的免疫系统得到了适当的训练。上个月在纳什维尔举行的一次不寻常的会议上，领先的流感研究人员开会讨论了制造“通用”流感疫苗的障碍，这种疫苗可以对抗大多数感染人类的​​病毒株，并且可以持续数年甚至终生。一个问题是季节性疫苗旨在触发针对血凝素蛋白的顶部或头部的抗体——血凝素蛋白是病毒表面的两种蛋白质之一。但该部分经常发生突变，研究表明，针对另一种表面蛋白神经氨酸酶的抗体，更好地与保护相关联。许多实验性疫苗试图利用血凝素蛋白的底部部分在不同菌株之间变化不大的事实，但这些制剂尚未证明足够有效。还有一个称为印记的问题，即儿童接受的第一种流感病毒或疫苗会影响他们终生对所有其他流感感染的反应。与会者讨论了许多推动该领域向前发展的新方法。其中儿童接种的第一种流感病毒或疫苗会影响他们终生对所有其他流感感染的反应。与会者讨论了许多推动该领域向前发展的新方法。其中儿童接种的第一种流感病毒或疫苗会影响他们终生对所有其他流感感染的反应。与会者讨论了许多推动该领域向前发展的新方法。