Arizona State University to undertake multi-million dollar project for vaccine study

Modern vaccines against infectious disease have saved hundreds of millions of lives, but there are still questions about why vaccines work so well for so many, but not for all. These are among the vital questions to be addressed in an ambitious, five-year, $12.5 million project undertaken by Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute. Val Murugan of the ASU bio-design institute joined us now to talk about a new study on vaccine effectiveness.

“Every year the vaccine changes,” Murugan said. Murugan’s study will present what will be in next year’s vaccine.

Murugan’s study will assess why vaccines work well for so many people, but not for others. For example, a strain of the flu will be assessed in the study. “As a human being, we all respond to vaccines differently.” Then, Murugan’s team assess what is the patient’s immune response level and why a certain reaction might happen. To do this, a patient’s medical history is gained with consent.

Along with the ASU Biodesign Institute, Phoenix Children’s, Valleywise Health and ASU Health Services will be in collaboration.