The need to re-formulate the influenza virus vaccine in response to viral antigenic drift and shift makes for complex logistics of vaccine production and administration. Surveillance programs must be conducted each year to identify strains that are likely to predominate and cause disease. Wouldn’t it be simpler if a single vaccine could be developed that would confer protection against a broad range of viral strains? Results from the past year suggest that such a vaccine might be closer than previously thought.
