The Rundown AI: MIT’s AI to predict flu vaccine success

AI RESEARCH💉 MIT’s AI to predict flu vaccine successImage source: Ideogram / The Rundown

The Rundown: MIT researchers created VaxSeer, an AI system that predicts which flu strains will dominate future seasons and identifies the most protective vaccine candidates months in advance.

The details:The system uses deep learning trained on decades of viral sequences and lab test data to forecast strain dominance and vaccine effectiveness.In testing against past flu seasons, VaxSeer beat the WHO’s vaccine picks 15 out of 20 times across two major flu types. The system also spotted a winning vaccine formula in 2016 that health officials didn’t choose until the following year.VaxSeer’s predictions matched up strongly with how well vaccines actually worked when given to real patients.

Why it matters: With vaccines needing to be created ahead of flu season, choosing the correct strain is a guessing game, which often results in hit-or-miss effectiveness. With VaxSeer’s ability to read patterns humans miss to help make better predictions, targeting the correct bug could mean a lot fewer illnesses come flu season.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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