Potential new way to inactivate viruses for vaccines

[prosciencemum]

This looks interesting - a report on a potential new method to inactivate viruses for vaccines, which may be safer, and also make more effective vaccines. 

(News article written by a medical writer, Anita Kuan, PhD for the Hartford Health Examiner about a study recent;y published in Nature Medicine - link to original study is in the article). 

http://www.examiner.com/article/potential-new-agent-for-viral-inactivation-attenuated-vaccines

[nukuspot]

I'm into the idea.  I've said for years that if I could find vaccines without formaldehyde and aluminum (and no more trace thimerasol) I would be much more likely to consider them.  The main one I always go back/forth with is DT which has all 3 of them...So this is great.  I wonder if it will ever happen in real life?

[prosciencemum]

I think it takes quite a long time because they obviously have to do tests with humans to make sure there's no major side effects! 

It is nice to see people are trying to find alternatives to some of the more controversial ingredients in vaccines, and trying to make the vaccines work more effectively. I found it interesting how they discuss that using formaldahyde to inactivate the virus can actually damage the shape of the virus which means that your immune system might not be learning as well as it could how to recognise the actual virus. They claim this method would inactivate the virus without altering its shape so much so would actually make the vaccines work more efficiently (might mean the need for less adjuvant etc so that's good too).