"Researchers hope a new treatment developed in the United Kingdom will prove vital in controlling future flu pandemics such as HN swine flu bird flu as well as ending the need for annual flu jabs. Developed by scientists at Oxford University the new vaccine works by targeting protein cells inside the influenza A virus instead of current vaccines that attack proteins on the outside of the flu virus. According to Sarah Gilbert head of the project at Oxfords Jenner Institute this method is effective because proteins inside the virus are far more similar across all the influenza strains and are less likely to mutate. In the first successful trial on humans  healthy people were vaccinated and infected with the seasonal flu strain along with  nonvaccinated volunteers. Flu kills every year. Its not just swine flu. Normally its the very old or very young that die from flu but every year there are deaths from influenza A. Sarah Gilbert from Oxford Universitys Jenner Institute.  The results say Gilbert are important in developing a new form of protection that researchers hope could spell the end of flu vaccination supply problems. The most recent global pandemic was the  HN flu pandemic in which the estimates of deaths ranged as high as  in the U.S. alone according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   Gilbert explained With the swine flu pandemic it took four months before the first doses of the vaccine were available and there was only a small amount available Gilbert explained. It took a further six months before it was possible to vaccinate a large number of people. With this type of vaccine you would at least be able to start using the vaccine as soon as you knew a new pandemic was starting. You could stockpile the vaccine and wouldnt have this wait to make a new pandemicspecific vaccine she said. The vaccine would be an important step in treating seasonal flu not just pandemics. Flu kills every year. Its not just swine flu. Normally its the very old or very young that die from flu but every year there are deaths from influenza A said Gilbert. In the U.S alone its believed about  people die from seasonal flurelated causes in an average year according to the CDC. The initial results are positive says Peter Palese professor and chair of microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York but more research is needed before the new treatment is approved. I think its a very interesting and very elegant approach and the data so far looks very very good he said. But although the vaccine has been give to humans unfortunately there is no evidence presented to say if it really results in protection against infection. Gilbert agrees more work is required before the vaccine becomes available estimating a wait of at least five year but says the results are a fundamental next step in the treatment of flu. Its fairly certain flu vaccines are going to change a lot in the next few years she said. Whether its this vaccine or another one someone else develops I dont think well be continuing with the type of flu vaccines that we have at the moment."