vaccine

Influenza vaccine – hold the eggs

Influenza virus undergoes continuous antigenic variation, necessitating production of a new vaccine each year. This is not a trivial task. Six to nine months before the flu season begins, the viral strains for inclusion in the vaccine must be selected. High-yielding recombinant strains are produced and grown in embryonated chicken eggs. This year, approximately 140 …

Influenza vaccine – hold the eggs Read More »

Poliovirus

Poliovirus is the etiologic agent of the paralytic disease known as poliomyelitis. It’s also the virus I’ve worked on for most of my career. The World Health Organization is in the midst of a massive effort to eradicate the disease, an undertaking that has encountered a number of obstacles. In coming posts I’d like to …

Poliovirus Read More »

Scroll to Top