GlaxoSmithKline funds Canadian flu vaccine studies

GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) is supporting Canadian flu studies to the tune of $12 million. The money will go toward an additional three years of tracking the incidence and severity of flu across Canada in adults who have ended up in the hospital because of the bug, through the Serious Outcomes Surveillance (SOS) Network. The funds, according to Dr. Shelly McNeil, an infectious disease specialist at Capital Health, "will support the operation of surveillance sites at hospitals across Canada, as we focus on the evaluation of influenza and influenza vaccine effectiveness in the elderly." This research could help plan vaccination campaigns. Because it will provide real-world data away from the rather constrained world of clinical trials, it could also support future vaccine development. Press release | Article