By Rachael Rettner The vaccine against swine flu seems to offer
broader protection against other flu viruses, compared with the
seasonal flu vaccine, researchers say. This vaccine, officially
called the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, was administered in 2009 to
protect against a new virus strain that caused a pandemic that
year. In the new study, people who received this vaccine
developed antibodies against not only H1N1, but also several
other flu strains, the researchers said. Such protection against
multiple strains is rarely seen in people who receive the
seasonal flu vaccine or are infected with seasonal flu, the
researchers said. The findings bring researchers closer to
developing a universal flu vaccine — one that provides broad
protection against flu viruses and lasts for years, said study
researcher Rafi Ahmed, director of the Emory University's
Vaccine Center. Currently, a new seasonal flu vaccine must be
developed and administered every year because its protection is
limited to certain strains, and wanes over