It’s flu season: Why do we need a shot every year? And should we be worried about the new avian influenza strain?

Tiny Matters

Why do we need an influenza vaccine every year when there are many vaccines we only need to get once every few decades? In this episode, Deboki and Sam kick things off by covering the different strains of influenza that are most likely to cause, or already caused, pandemics. They also chat with experts about the new, more deadly strain of avian influenza — H5N1 — that has been making its rounds in the United States since January 2022, leading to the deaths of over 58 million birds, not just impacting farms and egg prices but wild bird populations.
Sam and Deboki also delve into flu strain predictions each year — which dictate what’s in the vaccine, and aren’t always accurate — and the promise of a universal vaccine for not just flu but all pathogens, which could be crucial for saving lives early in a future pandemic. Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here.

Chapters

1. What's in the flu shot? And why do we need it every year? (00:00:00)

2. Avian influenza (00:03:50)

3. Predicting influenza strains and the future of vaccines (00:13:34)