The technology that marked a turning point in the Coronavirus pandemic, the messenger RNA, continues to conquer territories in the vaccination ecosystem. A new research, published on Wednesday in the magazine Jamahas underpinned the path to optimize vaccination against two large respiratory viruses: the influenzavirus of the flu and the Sars-Cov-2 of the COVID. The essay, developed by the modern pharmacist, has found that its combined vaccine achieves an immune response comparable to that of other individual preparations already authorized against these infections. Although this study does not measure the effectiveness of the medication and will require more research to analyze this fundamental element, researchers suggest that the development of a single vaccine against these two ailments can help improve vaccination coverage.
The flu and Covid virus are already old acquaintances in public Health, but their impact continues to check the health systems and life of millions of people every year: it is estimated that, annually, in the world, about one billion cases of flu and 2.3 billion covid are recorded; Already despite its virulence, especially in people over 65, vaccination against these microorganisms remains, in the eyes of scientists, “suboptima.” In Spain, the vaccination coverage for the flu among the most vulnerable groups for its age is 67%; And for Covid, 35%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, in fact, the joint administration of vaccines against these two viruses to improve coverage, but the authors of this research argue that a multicomponent vaccine – that is, combined – “can be a preferable option to vaccinate against both diseases in a single injection.” Researchers hypothesize that this strategy could increase compliance with immunization guidelines and, “ultimately, mitigate the disease.” Time will say if these expectations are met, but their experimental vaccine, for now, is already in the advance of this therapeutic strategy.
The provisional data of a phase 3 trial with its messenger RNA preparation, which is directed against four flu strains and one of the SARS-COV-2, shows that, in people over 50, a single dose of its vaccine achieves a response of the immune system comparable to that of other preparations already authorized by the regulatory agencies. In the study, the comparison is with two traditional tetravalent vaccines against the flu and another – modern and also of messenger RNA – for the Covid. “The RNM-1083 [el nombre con el que se conoce el nuevo preparado de Moderna] It induced higher immune responses against the three strains of clinically relevant influenzavirus and the SARS-COV-2 that authorized comparison vaccines evaluated in this trial, ”explain the authors. It also presented some levels of tolerance and safety similar to those of the vaccines with which it was compared.
-The article also highlights the benefits of the Messenger RNA platform when designing or modifying the vaccine against these two viruses. For example, “rapid production and flexibility to update the vaccine composition can guarantee close correspondence with circulating strains” of these viruses, they point out.
This is not the only novel experiment in progress to combat two respiratory viruses with pandemic potential. The epidemiologist Toni Trilla recalls that there are similar vaccines under study by Pfizer-Bionntec and GSK-Curevac, but in earlier phases of research. Also with Messenger RNA technology, there are active studies in search of, for example, of a universal vaccine against the flu virus, an especially complex microorganism for its enormous mutation capacity and because you never know with certainty what strain will circulate in each season. And beyond the messenger RNA, the European Medication Agency (EMA) has also approved a kind of prepaides vaccine, a serum against avian flu that, if a crisis occurs by this pathogen, would be ready to be manufactured.
Caution among experts
Regarding the research published in JamaAmós García Rojas, former president of the Spanish Society of Vaccination, points out that it is “a novel project as it encompasses two vaccines that had to be given separately, but it is not the only line of research that is in relation to combined vaccines of flu and covid,” he affects. On the results, it is prudent: “The protective and safety response data for both flu and Covid are positive. In principle, it is a study that allows us to have hope in this combined vaccine, but we will see how the subject continues to evolve.”
In the same line of caution, Trilla considers the investigation “a step forward”, but slides that there are still “many variables to consider to be able to argue for or against the possible future employment of this type of messenger vaccines combined for flu and covid.” The epidemiologist recalls that, although a vaccine of this type is “easier to manufacture, more quickly adaptable to changes in the predominant strains of both viruses and easier to administer”, also “it is probably much more expensive. Better a puncture than two, but the price can be a deterrence: the conventional flu vaccine is much cheaper Choose flu).
