A new study has concluded that one of the prominent strains of the influenza virus circulating worldwide has mutated, indicating that current vaccines are no longer effective against it. According to a report by the American network "CNN" on Thursday, researchers believe that the vaccines can do little against the new influenza variant, but they can still prevent severe symptoms.
Researcher Scott Hensley, who led the study, stated, "There seems to be a mismatch between the vaccine and the virus as shown by our laboratory studies." Hensley, who is also a professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, considers the results bad news for current vaccines. He explained that influenza vaccines protect against four strains and that the study he worked on with others targeted the (H3N2) strain, which is the most prevalent globally.
The study may provide a scientific explanation for the influenza outbreak at the University of Michigan last November, where more than 700 people were infected, approximately 26% of whom had been vaccinated against influenza. This indicates that the vaccine was ineffective in preventing infection.
Hensley mentioned that he and the researchers have been monitoring the virus for several months, noting that it mutates continuously, even more than any other virus, including the coronavirus, and that different strains can spread simultaneously. He indicated that the mutations occurring in the (H3N2) strain have allowed the virus to evade the antibodies produced by the body in response to the vaccines.
Antibodies are the body's first line of defense against viruses, and according to the study, current vaccines do not seem able to produce the appropriate antibodies to confront the new strain. Fortunately, these mutations in the influenza virus have not impacted the second line of defense, which is the human immune system, particularly T cells.
Thus, the study concludes that even if the vaccines do not protect against influenza infection, they are likely to protect people from severe symptoms and death.
