Why Glycosylation Matters in Building a Better Flu Vaccine

Flu, Flu Vaccines, and Why We Need to Do Better

Influenza (or flu) is a huge global problem, one billion people—1/7th of the world’s population get infected with it each year. The virus does not only infect people it also infects many different animals including chickens and pigs and can have devastating effects on farms where these animals are raised. Our body has evolved ways (called the immune response) to kill the influenza virus if we a...

Building allies coalitions: Why formation matters.

This article describes how formation of the Allies Against Asthma coalitions was influenced by community context, history, leadership, membership, structure, processes, and other factors. Based on member surveys, key informant interviews, and self-assessment tools, results indicate that three coalitions developed from existing coalitions, and four formed in response to funding. The coalitions t...

Better Reporting of Scientific Studies: Why It Matters

[1], PLOS Medicine is launching a new Reporting Guidelines Collection [2], an open access collection of reporting guidelines , commentary, and related research on guidelines from across PLOS journals. This collection is consistent with the goals of the Peer Review Congress: ''to improve the quality and credibility of scientific peer review and publication and to help advance the efficiency, eff...

Rationing the flu vaccine.

In October 2004, the CDC announced that Chiron Corporation, chief supplier of inactivated influenza vaccine for the United States for the 2004–2005 flu season, would not be providing the 50 million vaccinations it had promised—half of the anticipated 90–100 million doses from all sources projected for the flu season. The resultant shortage set off a firestorm of concern. Well known to health ca...

The quest for a H1N1 flu vaccine.