influenza

• what does the influenza vaccine do every year?


  changes every year
• why does the influenza vaccine change every year?

  because the antigens on the surface of the influenza virus change regularly, forming new strains of the virus
• What will memory cells produced from vaccination with one strain of the flu do?

  NOT recognise other strains with different antigens

  • the strains are immunologically distinct
• What are there every year?

  Different strains of the influenza virus circulating the population = so a different vaccine has to be made
• What are developed?

  New vaccines, and one is chosen every year that is the most effective against the recently circulating influenza viruses

  • Government and health authorities then implement a programme of vaccination using the most SUITABLE VACCINE