Ideal flu vaccine for seniors focus of US-funded research in Sudbury

A researcher and geriatrician in Sudbury is developing a test that will pinpoint the best flu vaccines for seniors.

Dr. Janet McElhaney has received $1 million from the US federal government for five years of work.

The immune system changes as people age, and seniors may need higher doses of the flu vaccine, and she wants to develop a blood test that will match the right vaccine and the right dose, with the right senior, she said.

McElhaney said the test, which would be administered in a doctor’s office, will save the government money in the long run.

“When we move to having different types of vaccines available, some are more expensive than others. From a public health point of view, we want to know who [will] most benefit and who can we give the vaccines to.”

She noted better protection of seniors from the flu will mean fewer hospital stays and fewer complications that may lead to death.

 “Influenza vaccines work but we need better vaccines,” McElhaney said.

“We need the tools to be able to test them in advance of conducting these huge clinical trials that may fail.”

McElhaney is associated with the Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada in Sudbury.

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