Influenza Virus (Coursework Sample)

Microbiology Discussion: Influenza Virus Name Institution Course Date Microbiology Discussion: Influenza Virus For many years, the US federal government has collaborated with the private sector to improve flu vaccine technologies aimed at increasing the effectiveness, distribution, and uptake of flu vaccines among the populations. These efforts have seen significant advances with flu vaccines in recent years. These advances include high-dose vaccines and flu vaccines made with adjuvant to improve immune response for people aged 65 and above, intradermal vaccines, cell culture-based flu vaccines, quadrivalent flu vaccines, recombinant influenza vaccines, and live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) (CDC & NCIRD, 2022). Some of these vaccines have already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, while others are at various phases of development. My thought is that advancements in flu vaccines could be a breakthrough in creating vaccines that can quickly respond to novel flu outbreaks and possible pandemics. With time, researchers will be able to develop a universal flu vaccine that is safe, effective, and provides long-term immunity against a wide spectrum of flu viruses. There are also multiple tests that can be used to detect flu viruses in human respiratory specimens. The most common and standard test is the rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs), which detects the virus detecting the antigens triggering immune response. RIDTs may not be very accurate, and, therefore, there are other more accurate flu diagnostic tests. These include rapid molecular assays, immunofluorescence assays, viral culture, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These tests vary in the ability to detect the virus, which may lead to false negative test results. However, diagnosis can also be done based on the presented symptoms and clinical judgment. The upcoming flu season is always a matter of concern for public health officials, medical professionals, and the general public. This is because of the elusive nature of the virus and the frustrating target for vaccines. The viruses evolve rapidly from season to season, and, therefore, predicting the predominant virus that will circulate in the next season can be difficult. The emergence of newer viruses can further complicate the situation as these can render existing vaccines less effective. Flu researchers have attempted to circumvent this challenge by developing a universal vaccine that can remain effective against any strain or variation of the flu virus in a given season, or for many seasons to come (O'Neill, 2021). Hence, the effectiveness of the flu vaccine may vary from season to season depending on how well the strains in the vaccine match the circulating strains. Flu researchers have made efforts to predict the most likely strains for the upcoming season and included them in the development of vaccines. I also think that COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or adenoviruses will have an impact...