Targeted Research for Influenza Vaccination

Segment Description: Troy Trygstad, PharmD, MBA, PhD, VP of Pharmacy and Provider Partnerships, Community Care of North Carolina, discusses the trends of targeted research in the influenza vaccination space and how protocols could differ based off of variances.

Interview Transcript (modified slightly for readability):

“Baloxavir would be a good example of how, now, we’re starting to segment, just like we were highly invested in small molecule drugs that were imprecise but could be used across a broad population. Eventually started to be more targeted in our research, and what therapies for variance of conditions and variances of levels of risk and types of variance of different pathologies—you’re starting to also see that in the vaccination space.

Where this population is at risk for a certain reason or this geography is at risk for a certain reason [for] this type of strain. I think we’re getting more sophisticated about how we target certain subpopulations for something like an influenza general disease state. Even though we’re attacking the general disease state, there’s variance not only in the strains, but in the risks in how you might administer across various types of populations and different geographies. I think that will be the trend and I think clinicians keeping up with those trends will be important.

It’s altogether possible that what your protocol in Florida might be 5 years from now when it comes to vaccination, might be different than your protocol in Washington. Either through population base or—you know, Zika is a good example where you have outbreaks in certain areas that are more susceptible and not in others. We need to be thinking about not just general rules as we go forward in time but what’s my practice? Who comes into my pharmacy? Who is in my county—if I’m a public health director? And we may have protocols that are more specific to my patient population. I think that will be the trend.”