Brisbane's Mater Hospital is starting trials on a universal flu vaccine that it hopes could do away with the need for yearly jabs.
Researchers at the Mater have launched a clinical trial of vaccine OVX836, which targets the internal nucleoprotein of the flu virus, the part that is less susceptible to mutations.
Mater director of infectious diseases Dr Paul Griffin said a universal vaccine could dramatically shift the way clinicians guard against the flu by aiming to target parts of the virus that do not change.
"There are some limitations on flu vaccines, particularly those bits on the flu virus that the vaccine targets are prone to changing," he said.
"That's why the vaccine needs to be updated every year.
"But this vaccine targets something that doesn't change anywhere near as often, something that we'd say is much more conserved across flu viruses."
Dr Griffin said while it is too early in the trial to know for sure, he is optimistic the vaccine could last a "number of years".
"Certainly, the technology lends itself to being able to protect against a wider range of flu viruses and to give even better protection that will last longer as well," he said.
More than 40,000 cases of influenza have been confirmed in Australia so far this year. Forty-four people have died from the flu-associated conditions.
'Doable' but 'challenging'
Professor Robert Booy from The University of Sydney is not involved in the study and said it would be an "important advance" to have a universal flu vaccine.
"Were it to last several years or even longer, that would be great progress," he said.
The infectious diseases expert said producing vaccines based on the inner proteins of viruses is "doable" but "challenging" and "the proof of the pudding will be in the eating".
"For more than 50 years we've been making vaccines against flu based on the outer proteins, not the inner ones," he said.
"The outer ones are the ones that create most of the immunity, so it is a challenge to use an inner protein."
Professor Booy said influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in Australia.
"It's a yearly problem to get enough people vaccinated so they're directly protected and to try and control flu from causing hospital waiting times … with too many people coming to emergency departments and ending up in hospital or intensive care," Professor Booy said.
He said a longer-lasting vaccine could "absolutely" be used globally to combat influenza.
Low rate of flu vaccinations
Dr Griffin voiced concern about the rate of flu vaccinations in Queensland.
"Our uptake of the flu vaccine this year is nowhere near where we need it to be, especially with the number of cases that we're already seeing," he said.
He attributed that in part to vaccine fatigue, which he cited as a "really big challenge".
Dr Griffin said it is hoped the OVX836 vaccine, if successful, would reduce vaccine fatigue and increase vaccination uptake.
"A vaccine we give less often, there's likely to be less cost … in having to do that less frequently," he said.
"That might be one way of addressing some of those challenges for vulnerable groups, who have trouble accessing the vaccine at the moment."
More than 600 participants across Australia will take part in the trial – including 180 people at the Mater Hospital.
The trial will compare three combinations of flu vaccines: the OVX836 vaccine with the conventional flu vaccine, OVX836 with a placebo, and the conventional vaccine with a placebo.
Anyone aged between 18 and 60 who is yet to receive this year's flu vaccine is eligible to take part in the trial.
Dr Griffin said the trial is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
He said before the vaccine is available at GPs, there would need to be a third phase with thousands of volunteers that could run until next year.
"So maybe a year or two after that, would be the most optimistic timeline, but of course it really depends on what happens between now and then," he said.
