{"id":27,"date":"2026-11-06T09:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T09:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthcare.hibisports.com\/?p=27"},"modified":"2026-11-06T09:06:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T09:06:21","slug":"could-a-universal-flu-vaccine-replace-annual-flu-and-covid-shots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthcare.hibisports.com\/?p=27","title":{"rendered":"Could a Universal Flu Vaccine Replace Annual Flu and COVID Shots?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For years, researchers have sought to develop a vaccine that can protect against any current or future influenza virus variants, including those that have the potential to cause pandemics. Such a universal flu vaccine<\/a> could reduce serious influenza-related illness<\/a> and possibly the need for an annual shot.\n<\/p>\n

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In May 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced its support for a universal vaccine candidate designed to neutralize multiple influenza strains and provide \u201cbroad-spectrum protection against multiple strains of pandemic-prone viruses,\u201d including coronaviruses<\/a> and the H5N1 bird flu<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe desire for a universal vaccine is strong in the scientific community and in the public health community,\u201d said Mark Mulligan, MD<\/a>, director of the Vaccine Center at New York University Langone, who is not involved with the HHS initiative.\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs a vaccine center director, I’m very happy that the director of HHS, who is known to be a vaccine skeptic, is supporting vaccine research, and particularly for a cause like this. And I hope that support will continue,\u201d Mulligan told Verywell.\n<\/p>\n

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Why Do We Need a Universal Flu Vaccine? <\/span> <\/h2>\n

Influenza mutates so quickly that the vaccine formula needs to be tweaked each year to protect against the three to four variants that scientists think will circulate most in the fall and winter.\n<\/p>\n

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Many Americans skip the vaccine\u2014fewer than half of eligible people were vaccinated during the last flu season.<\/span> When they do get it, the vaccine is about 20% to 60% effective at preventing hospitalization, depending on the year.<\/span> The virus killed about 28,000 people in the 2023-24 flu season.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

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Creating a \u201cvariant-proof\u201d vaccine for influenza and COVID could minimize some of the guesswork involved with updating the annual boosters. Mulligan said that if that vaccine were durable enough, people may not need to get the shot every year.\n<\/p>\n

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HHS Launches \u2018Generation Gold Standard\u2019 Program to Back Universal Flu Vaccine <\/span> <\/h2>\n

The HHS is currently advancing two universal flu vaccine candidates, which both use a traditional vaccine-making technology.\n<\/p>\n

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In 2025, the Wall Street Journal<\/em> reported <\/a>that HHS is shifting $550 million away from COVID vaccine development programs to instead support the universal flu vaccine goal. The agency is giving an unspecified chunk of that money to support the work of two researchers who were recently named as directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in an effort it dubbed “Generation Gold Standard.”\n<\/p>\n

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The HHS said the program \u201crepresents a decisive shift toward transparency, effectiveness, and comprehensive preparedness.\u201d According to the Journal<\/em>, there was no public call for applications, and it\u2019s not clear why the pair\u2019s project was chosen to receive the funding over other universal vaccine candidates.\n<\/p>\n

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The goal, said the agency, is to create a vaccine that wouldn\u2019t have to be updated every year to match the viral strains of the moment. It also aims to protect against other respiratory viruses, including COVID and the H5N1 bird flu. The agency said the platform can be adapted for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and others.\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cGeneration Gold Standard is a paradigm shift,\u201d Jay Bhattacharya, NIH director, said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cIt extends vaccine protection beyond strain-specific limits and prepares for flu viral threats\u2014not just today\u2019s, but tomorrow\u2019s as well\u2014using traditional vaccine technology brought into the 21st century.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

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The HHS said clinical trials for the vaccine are set to begin in 2026, with the goal of getting FDA approval by 2029. An intranasal universal flu vaccine using the same technology is already in advanced testing and is also slated for FDA review in 2029. The agency said that the goal of that formulation is to \u201cblock virus transmission\u201d by delivering the vaccine into the nose.\n<\/p>\n

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Related Stories<\/h2>\n
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Flu Shot Side Effects By Age: What\u2019s Normal and What\u2019s Not<\/div>\n
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