H1N1 Vaccine May Also Protect Against the 1918 H1N1 Pandemic Virus

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H1N1 flu shots also protect against Spanish flu - CTV News

New research suggests the antibodies many people around the world generated against the 2009 virus -- either through being ill or by getting vaccinated -- would protect them if a lab accident resulted in the release of the 1918 virus or if terrorists tried to use it as a bio weapon.

"Our results should ease concerns of accidental release of the 1918 virus from the laboratory, or its use as a bioterrorist agent, as a cross-protective vaccine is now available and a large proportion of the general population would already have cross-reactive antibodies," said the researchers, led by flu expert Adolfo Garcia-Sastre of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

The work was done in mice and the team said in their paper -- published in the journal Nature Communications -- that they will need to replicate it in other animal models, including monkeys.

Not only did they find the antibodies, but when they transferred the human blood to the mice and then gave the mice what should have been a lethal dose of 1918 virus, they were protected.

(hat tip pfi/monotreme)

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