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London (AFP) Feb 6, 2011 Scientists in Britain have successfully tested a vaccine which could work against all known flu strains, the Guardian newspaper reported Monday. The new vaccine, developed by scientists at Oxford University, differs from traditional treatments by targeting proteins inside the flu virus rather than proteins on the flu's external coat. The two proteins within the virus are similar across strains and less likely to mutate, meaning new vaccines would not have to be developed for each new strain of the illness. Traditional vaccines stimulate the body to produce antibodies to fight the flu, whereas the new treatment, developed by a team led by Sarah Gilbert, boosts the production of T-cells, which identify and kill infected cells. "Fewer of the people who were vaccinated got flu than the people who weren't vaccinated," said Gilbert. "We did get an indication that the vaccine was protecting people, not only from the numbers of people who got flu but also from looking at their T-cells before we gave them flu. "The volunteers we vaccinated had T-cells that were activated, primed and ready to kill." If successfully developed, the new vaccine could prevent outbreaks such as the recent swine flu pandemic, which cost the British government 1.2 billion pounds sterling ($1.9 billion, 1.4 billion euros) in vaccine preparation.
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South African school children to be tested for HIVJohannesburg (AFP) Feb 2, 2011 South African children as young as 12 will from next month be able to test for HIV at school in a new plan to curb the virus that has been met with mixed feelings. The government says the campaign will allow early treatment in a country with the world's highest AIDS infection rate but some activists fear it will pressurise children to test, once the campaign is rolled out in March. "It m ... read more |
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