The invention provides a vaccine for protecting a human patient against infection by a human influenza virus strain, wherein the vaccine comprises an antigen from an avian influenza virus strain that can cause highly pathogenic avian influenza. The antigen can invoke an antibody response in the patient that is capable of neutralising said human influenza virus strain. Whereas the prior art used known non-pathogenic avian strains to generate antibodies in humans against known pathogenic avian strains, the invention uses known pathogenic avian strains to protect against emerging pathogenic human strains. Furthermore, whereas the prior art focused on achieving a close antigenic match between the vaccine strain and the target strain, the invention selects vaccine strains based on their pathogenicity, regardless of any perceived close antigenic relationship to the target strain. As the invention does not require detailed knowledge of an emerging strain, a vaccine can be provided further in advance to reduce the risk and potential effects of a human pandemic outbreak.
