Nanoscale Vaccines for Influenza

Influenza, a contagious respiratory illness, spreads easily via contaminated surfaces and air. In majority of the cases, the symptoms are minor, including fever, fatigue, chills, and runny nose. In very few cases, it can lead to severe complications, specifically in people with underlying health conditions, older persons, and children. Vaccines have proven to be the most effective way to prevent and control the spread of influenza. Vaccination can reduce illness and lessen severity of infection. However, current challenges to effective influenza vaccination include a need for annual vaccination, constant mutations to the circulating strains, emergence of antigenically novel vaccines, a need of adjuvants for improving the immunogenicity in immunologically weaker population, and less cross-protected immune responses. Here, we summarize the conventional and modern technologies used for the production of antigens for immunizations. Additionally, we have reviewed the use of various adaptive pathways, like use of adjuvants and mRNA technology, and tracked their progress in clinical trials. This chapter focuses majorly on currently licensed influenza vaccines, the potential challenges that arise because of influenza virus biology, and the vaccine approaches that address these challenges.