# How do scientists create a flu vaccine?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 19, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750 "2013-01-19T22:27:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@spunkymuzicnote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spunkymuzicnote)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750/1 "2013-01-19T22:27:17Z")
How do scientists know what types of flu they should put into a vaccine months in advance of the season, and then how do they create all of that dead flu for the many vaccines that are given out?
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### Author:  [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750/2 "2013-01-19T22:42:58Z")
There is a nice description of the process on this [WHO site](http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/notes/h1n1_vaccine_20090806/en/index.html).
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### Author:  [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750/3 "2013-01-20T00:06:18Z")
> [@Anaglyph](#):
>
> There is a nice description of the process on this [WHO site](http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/notes/h1n1_vaccine_20090806/en/index.html).
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750/4 "2013-01-20T01:04:32Z")
They don’t always pick the right flu virus variants… although this year they apparently did.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750/5 "2013-01-20T02:05:03Z")
Article in today’s on-line news:
[Fighting the flu may soon get easier](http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/19/us-flu-vaccines-idUSBRE90I0AI20130119)
Describes current research toward developing improved flu vaccines in the near future, and includes some brief remarks describing how vaccines are currently made and some new developments in the works.
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### Author:  [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-scientists-create-a-flu-vaccine/647750/6 "2013-01-20T04:27:03Z")
> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Article in today’s on-line news:
> [Fighting the flu may soon get easier](http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/19/us-flu-vaccines-idUSBRE90I0AI20130119)
>
> Describes current research toward developing improved flu vaccines in the near future, and includes some brief remarks describing how vaccines are currently made and some new developments in the works.
The end of that article refers to what is being called a universal flu vaccine since it targets a part of the hemagglutanin structure presented on the virus’ coat that seems to be well conserved but normally hidden from the immune system.
> [@](#):
>
> LESS FREQUENT, MORE EFFECTIVE SHOTS
>
> HHS is now focusing on a universal flu vaccine that could be given every five to 10 years, much like a tetanus shot, and protect against most types of flu, including seasonal varieties and the highly mutated kinds that cause pandemics.
> .
> .
> .
> Most vaccines target proteins on the bulb portion of the virus, which mutates from year to year, but Fauci says the stem contains proteins that don’t change much from virus to virus.
>
> The problem is that when the flu virus is presented to the body, these stem proteins are structurally hidden from the immune system. A genetically engineered vaccine could overcome that by only presenting these stem proteins to the immune system.
>
> Phase 1 studies have already begun in people, testing for safety and whether the vaccine can prod the immune system into making an appropriate response.