Influenza, vaccines and new developments

Catherine Heffernan provides an update on influenza vaccination Vaccines are the first step in prevention of many infectious disease such as influenzae and have has dramatically reduced the burden of infectious disease ( van Panhuis et al, 2013 ). Their aim is to induce an immune response to the targeted pathogen without developing the disease. Vaccines work by initiating an innate immune response which is the body's first line of defence against invading pathogens. The Influenza virus is a challenge for global immunisation programmes as the virus can change and adapt creating a need for an annual vaccine and continuous monitoring of the effectiveness of these interventions