Although some vaccinations may provide a boost in human immune system that lasts for years, the seasonal flu vaccine was recently discovered to only remain active for months.

The need for annual flu-shots is because influenza-type viruses rapidly change due to very frequent mutations and genetic swaps with birds and pigs.

New studies have provided a greater insight into the need to produce new yearly vaccines. As the production of antibodies occurs in the bone marrow, a study from the Evory Vaccine Centre uncovered that vaccination from seasonal flu does not have a long-term difference in increasing the production of antibodies directed towards the sickness. Research proves that most of the generated cells are lost within a year, meaning that yearly flu shots are vital.

This finding will hopefully lead to much longer-lasting ‘flu-shots’, which could be insightful for research into the COVID-19 vaccine.