Universal Flu Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that, each year since 2010, between 9.3 million and 49 million people have become ill from flu infections, 140,000 to 960,000 people have been hospitalized, and 12,000 to 79,000 have died. 

Two Texas Tech researchers have teamed up to develop a universal flu vaccine that will enhance the breadth of protection and ideally protects against strains that are significantly different from each other. A universal vaccine could reduce the need to change formulations each year while also reducing the likeliehood of flu pandemics. 

 

Texas Tech Biological Threat Research Laboratory (BTRL)

As a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) and DSHS' Laboratory Response Network, the BTRL's expertise and technical diagnostic capabilities are available to provide support to city and county public health agencies and other health care providers within a region covering about 66,000 square miles – from the northern border of the Panhandle south to the San Angelo area. In 2020, the BTRL was the first lab in Texas to begin testing for COVID-19.