How a single flu shot could protect you for decades
About this episode
The episode discusses the development of a universal flu vaccine that could provide long-term protection against the virus.
Every year, tens of millions of people in the U.S. get the flu vaccine. That’s because the virus changes year-to-year and protection only lasts around six months. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre wants to change that. He’s one scientist working on a universal flu vaccine that could provide decades of protection against all flu illnesses – but only if his team can find the resources that disappeared when U.S. funding dipped. If you liked this episode, listen to our episode on a vaccine trial that could end HIV . Interested in more medical innovations? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
Topics covered
- flu vaccine
- medical innovation
- universal vaccine
- public health
- scientific research
Keywords
- flu shot
- decades of protection
- Adolfo Garcia-Sastre
- universal flu vaccine
- U.S. funding
- medical research
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NPR, Short Wave
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