Scientists discover new compound which makes vaccines much more effective

One of the major arguments levied against vaccination is the woefully low rate of efficacy and effectiveness of many vaccines. Just published in the journal Nature Biotechnology is the discovery of a new compound which increases the effect of vaccines against viruses like flu, HIV and herpes. When talking about vaccines, efficacy relates to the ability of the vaccine to stimulate the body to produce antibodies against a particular disease. The effectiveness of a vaccine relates to the percentage of people it will actually prevent the disease occurring in, in real life. Flu vaccines, for instance, have an average efficacy rate of 59% across all age groups and an effectiveness of 35%, according to a recent meta-analysis from researchers at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota. Researchers at Oxford University have been studying the effects of a new adjuvant in mice. An adjuvant is a chemical added...