Chinese scientists develop new flu vaccine

WUHAN -- A research group from Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced that they have developed a new type of flu vaccine using nano-technology.

The intranasal nano-vaccine can target broad-spectrum flu viruses and induces robust immune responses, said Cui Zongqiang, leader of the research group.

"In our study, an intranasal nanovaccine worked well against infections of H1N1 and H9N2 virus in mice," Cui said.

"The results suggest that the 3M2e-rHF nanoparticle is a promising, needle-free, intranasally administered, cross-protective influenza vaccine," he said.

Across China, measures have been taken contain the winter flu outbreak. Experts said flu infections this winter are 71 percent above the average for the same period in the previous three years, with child cases rising sharply.

Flu outbreaks have been also reported worldwide including the United States, Canada, Britain, Italy, North Africa, Japan, and the Republic of Korea since winter last year.