When you get your annual flu vaccine each year, did you know Tennesseans are a key part of how the vaccine is made?
At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in downtown Memphis lies an influenza center for research with the World Health Organization. The center is one of seven that represent the WHO’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, where U.S. researchers study the flu and are part of the global leadership team determining the composition of the annual flu vaccine.
“We make recommendations based on the research that we’ve done here for which strain should be included in the following year’s vaccines,” said Jasmine Turner, a lead St. Jude influenza researcher. “So, when patients and their families and employees get their flu shots, they can rest assured that the work that we do here at St Jude has contributed to them getting vaccines that will protect them against influenza viruses.”
“When families get their flu shots, they can rest assured that the work that we do here at St Jude has contributed to them getting vaccines that will protect them.”
Flu vaccine manufacturing is a year-round effort. As part of the Global Influenza System, St. Jude scientists travel twice a year to Geneva, Switzerland to join the global Vaccine Composition Meeting. In February, they analyze flu data and determine composition of the seasonal flu vaccine for winter season in the northern hemisphere and in September for winter in the southern hemisphere. That’s because flu viruses are constantly mutating and must be continuously monitored to match the vaccine to the virus. St. Jude has been part of the United States’ seasonal flu vaccine strategy since 1975, when it was designated a center for research with WHO on influenza.
“It is critical for the U.S. that we are at the table in Geneva, so that we can understand what is happening around the world with flu,” said Dr. Stacey Schultz-Cherry, a virologist and deputy director of St. Jude’s center for research with WHO. “What is happening in other countries with the flu, can and will affect Americans. These microbes know no borders.”
“What is happening in other countries with the flu, can and will affect Americans. These microbes know no borders.”
The flu virus can cause severe illness leading U.S. businesses to lose as much as $7 billion in sick days and lost productivity annually. The flu vaccine prevents about 9 million to 41 million Americans from developing severe illness and prevents an estimated 12,000 to 52,000 deaths, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Because of St. Jude’s long history with the World Health Organization, St. Jude frequently brings infectious experts from other laboratories in the U.S. to Memphis for training and for joint research projects, helping to expand America’s pool of scientists with an understanding of respiratory diseases.
“Through my laboratory collaborations, I think we have probably trained at least fifty if not more undergraduate, graduate, medical and doctor and post-doctorate students in influenza research,” said Schultz-Cherry. “Having a [center for research with WHO] at St. Jude is increasing the highly skilled influenza workforce within Tennessee and the U.S.”