Scientists say they are developing an entirely new way of providing instant protection against flu.
In preliminary tests, it was found to protect animals against various strains of the virus - and may also protect against future pandemic strains.
University of Warwick researchers used a flu virus naturally stripped of some genetic material to compete with other invading flu viruses.
This slowed the rate of infection so much the body could fight it off.
In effect, the invading virus became its own vaccine by triggering an immune response sufficiently powerful to neutralise it before it could gain a strong enough foothold.
The Warwick team plan to develop the treatment as a nasal spray.
Experts warned much more testing was required.
However, they said the development of the vaccine was timely, amid concerns the H5N1 bird flu strain circulating in south east Asia could mutate into a pandemic strain which would put millions of lives at risk.
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Professor Nigel Dimmock has spent more than two decades developing the new approach.
The "protecting virus" with which he worked had naturally lost around 80% of the genetic material of one of its eight RNA constituent segments. This deletion makes the virus harmless and prevents it from reproducing by itself within a cell, so that it cannot spread like a normal influenza virus.
However, if it is joined in the cell by another influenza virus, it retains its harmless nature but starts to reproduce - and at a much faster rate than the new influenza virus.
This fast reproduction rate - spurred by the new flu infection - means that the new invading influenza is effectively crowded out.
This vastly slows the progress of the new infection, prevents flu symptoms, and gives the body time to develop an immune response to the harmful new invader.
Source
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Looks hopeful.
You know what I mean.