The contents of the syringe

摘要: The influenza vaccine failed this winter. Steven Salzberg suggests that future success relies on sharing data more widely and making the virus strain selection process transparent. 'official' year. Each year World Health Organization selects strains for based epidemiological data. Most of time it works, but what can be done to prevent failures? thinks answer lies in better tracking mutations. This means some research groups need change their ways. Instead guarding data, priority should rapid dissemination genome sequence all isolates — human avian. More transparency is one recommendations made by Yamada et al. a checklist how we prepare next pandemic. Other suggestions include stockpiling standard (inter-pandemic) flu vaccine, special pricing model poor countries, improved surveillance mechanisms. For week's Commentaries, visit podcast page.