Purdue prof develops better flu shot

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A Purdue professor is working to reduce the potential for the amount of flu cases we see each year.

Purdue biology professor Suresh Mittal says the Center for Disease Control has to predict the common flu strands up to eight months in advance of flu season.

He says the flu cases are high this year because of a mutation in the strands.

The vaccine that Mittal has developed was made to have a longer shelf life and change with mutations.

“Will it be useful for influenza?” Mittal said. “The time will tell how good these vaccines can be. But, experimentally, it seems like a pretty good idea.”

Mittal says the vaccine is different, because it creates anti-bodies as well as allows cells to prepare to attack flu viruses.