Published in Living Well Magazine (March/April 2016 edition), BiondVax's CEO considers whether flu prevention will be possible through the M-001 universal flu vaccine.

1. 30 DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2016
T
he mantra, “get your flu shot” is almost as com-
mon as “eat right and exercise regularly,” and
it gets louder with winter fast approaching. Se-
nior citizens in the U.S. are reminded to get vac-
cinated for flu, but last year, the vaccine was
as low as 9% effective for older people according to the
World Health Organization (WHO). Each year in the U.S.,
about 21,000 elderly people die from the flu. The question
stands; why isn’t the flu vaccine protecting the people who
need it the most?
The Fluid Nature of Flu
Flu remains a huge public health issue, and despite the fact
that more people are getting vaccinated, the population
is not better protected. NIH data shows vaccination rates
for people 65+ increased from 30% to 67% from 1989–
1997, and remains at around 60–70% today. However, flu
related mortality and hospitalization rates have continued
to increase rather than decline.
Currently available flu vaccines have very low effective-
ness rates because there is frequently a mismatch between
the flu strains included in the vaccine and the circulating
strains of flu that are most dominant in a given season. It
takes around six months to manufacture the vaccine and the
WHO has to make a prediction on what the predominat-
ing circulating flu strain will be far in advance of the actual
flu season. This “educated guess” approach of flu strain
selection is ineffective: The 2014–2015 mismatch resulted
in a 19% effectiveness rate for the vaccine in the general
population––the lowest rate reported by the CDC in the
past five years.
New Data Indicates More Reasons Why The Current
Vaccine May Be Less Effective in People 65+
According to the National Council on Aging, approxi-
mately 80% of people 65+ suffer from chronic illness and
research shows the flu vaccine has not been effective in
protecting against inflections resulting from flu virus, such
as pneumonia. Also, two recent studies have found that
statins, the cholesterol lowering drugs, may weaken the ef-
fect of the flu vaccine. Older patients who received the flu
vaccine were more likely to seek treatment for a respiratory
illness during flu season if they were taking a statin, com-
pared with vaccinated patients who were not taking statins.
Recently, the FDA approved a flu vaccine that contains an
adjuvant, a non-specific chemical enhancer of the immune
response, to improve effectiveness in seniors vulnerable to
the virus. But will this be enough?
Universal Flu Vaccine Could Mean Universal Solution
The low protection offered by the traditional seasonal
vaccine and the threat of pandemic have led scientists to
devote efforts to developing a “Universal Flu Vaccine” in
order to provide broad coverage to each and every flu
strain in a single formulation. BiondVax, an Israeli-based
company, is the most advanced, in the quest for this Holy
Grail. They are among several companies working on this
unique scientific approach to developing a radically differ-
ent vaccine.
How it Works
Existing flu vaccines work by inducing the body’s immune
system to recognize and fight off the specific flu strains if
they strike. Typically, three existing flu strains are chosen
then disabled and included in the vaccine.
Dr. Ron Babecoff is the Founder and CEO of BiondVax Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BVXV) an
innovative biopharmaceutical company developing a Universal Flu Vaccine, providing multi-season
and multi-strain protection against all human influenza virus strains, both seasonal and pandemic.
Is Flu Prevention Possible?
By Dr. Ron Babecoff

2. 31DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2016
Flu viruses are parasites that live inside
cells and therefore antibodies, which
operate outside of cells, are not the
most effective way to protect against
the virus. The Universal Flu Vaccine
takes the battle from outside the cell to
inside the cell where there is another
arm of the immune system called cell-
mediated immunity. This part of the im-
mune system contains specific T cells
that are stimulated to produce virus-
killing agents called cytokines when
they come in contact with a flu virus
after exposure to the Universal Flu Vac-
cine. The goal is not just to take the
fight to the virus source, but also to
offer broader protection that doesn’t
change year to year. This would al-
low for less frequent vaccinations
(about every five years vs. annually),
similar to the Tetanus or Polio vaccine.
In addition, it would offer protection
against potential pandemic flu strains
as well––think swine (H1N1) and bird
(H5N1 and H7N9) flu strains.
While, it’s too early to know how se-
vere the 2016 flu season will be, it
will soon become clearer how effec-
tive this year’s vaccine is. During any
particular flu season, the virus may
infect up to 20% of the entire popu-
lation, causing illness, lost workdays,
hospitalizations and even deaths. Un-
til we see a breakthrough with Univer-
sal Flu Vaccine, we must return to that
old mantra, “get a flu shot and hope
for the best.”
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