Scientists at Cornell University have developed a new type of vaccine that may provide stronger and longer-lasting protection against both COVID-19 and the flu.
This vaccine could also help fight multiple flu strains, making it a big improvement over current flu shots.
In a recent study on mice, the vaccine worked extremely well.
The vaccinated mice did not show any signs of illness after being exposed to the COVID-19 or flu viruses. Even more impressively, researchers found no traces of the virus in their lung or brain tissue.
Richard Adeleke, a doctoral student and lead author of the study, said one of the most exciting moments was when all vaccinated mice survived and stayed completely healthy. “When we checked their tissues and found no virus at all, we knew this vaccine was really working,” he said.
The Problems With Current Vaccines
While the COVID-19 vaccines available today are effective, they have some challenges. The widely used mRNA vaccines must be stored at very cold temperatures, which makes them difficult to distribute, especially in places without good refrigeration.
Flu vaccines also have their issues. They are not always reliable, with effectiveness often below 50%. Flu viruses change frequently, which means new flu shots are needed every year. Even then, they don’t always match the dominant flu strain.
Both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines also require frequent booster shots because their protection fades over time. This makes it harder for people to stay up to date with vaccinations.
How The New Vaccine Works
The Cornell researchers designed their vaccine to solve these problems. Unlike current COVID-19 vaccines, this new one does not need to be stored at extremely cold temperatures, making it easier to distribute. It also targets flu strains more effectively, which could reduce the need for yearly flu shots.
The vaccine uses a virus called vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which normally infects horses and cattle but does not cause disease in humans. Scientists modified this virus by removing certain proteins so that it cannot multiply or cause harm.
Then, they added two key proteins—one from the COVID-19 virus (the spike protein) and one from the flu virus (neuraminidase). When the vaccine is given, the immune system reacts to these proteins and creates antibodies, preparing the body to fight off both viruses.
One of the most promising findings from the study was that vaccinated mice still had strong immune responses eight months after getting the shot. Even when exposed to a different flu strain, they remained protected. This suggests that the vaccine could provide better and longer-lasting immunity compared to current flu shots, which often fail to protect against new strains.
David Buchholz, one of the study authors, explained that finding a flu vaccine that works against different strains is a major goal in medicine. “It may not sound like much, but this is a big step toward a universal flu vaccine,” he said.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the virus has caused the deaths of about seven million people worldwide. Meanwhile, the flu kills between 290,000 and 650,000 people each year, especially young children in developing countries. If a new vaccine could provide better and longer protection, it could help save millions of lives.
Another major benefit is that this vaccine might not need to be taken every year. If future studies confirm this, it could encourage more people to get vaccinated. Fewer booster shots would also reduce costs and take pressure off healthcare systems.
Adeleke hopes the vaccine could eventually be given every five years—or possibly even provide lifelong immunity. However, he acknowledged that more studies and clinical trials are needed before it can be approved for human use. “It takes a lot of time and money, but we are working as hard as we can to make it happen,” he said.
The research team has created a startup company, VIVA Viral Vaccines, Inc., to move forward with testing and developing the vaccine for human use. The technology behind this vaccine is flexible, meaning it could also be adapted to fight other dangerous viruses. Previous research using the same platform showed promising results against viruses like Nipah, Hendra, and Ebola.
Buchholz emphasized that this method is highly adaptable. “We can take any viral protein we need and add it to the surface of the vaccine. And every time we’ve tried, we’ve seen strong protection,” he said.
This new vaccine platform could be a game-changer for preventing both COVID-19 and flu. It has the potential to offer stronger, broader, and longer-lasting protection, while also being easier to distribute and store. If successful in future studies, it could replace yearly flu shots and make vaccinations more accessible worldwide.
However, more research is needed before it can be widely used in humans. The next step will be clinical trials to test its safety and effectiveness in people. If all goes well, this vaccine could significantly improve global public health and reduce the impact of two of the world’s most common viral diseases.
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The study is published in Science Advances.
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