A REVOLUTIONARY single vaccine could protect against all seasonal flus and colds, researchers have announced – just weeks after a severe flu outbreak brought Spanish hospitals to their knees.
Delivered as a single-dose nasal spray, the so-called ‘universal vaccine’ may also defend against lung infections, coughs, and even allergies, according to scientists at Stanford University.
Currently awaiting human trials after successful animal testing, the vaccine has been described as a ‘radical departure’ from traditional vaccines, which have followed the same design principles for over two centuries.
Bali Pulendran, a professor of immunology and microbiology at Stanford, told the BBC: “This vaccine, which we call a universal vaccine, triggers a much broader immune response that protects not just against the flu, Covid, and common cold viruses, but against virtually all viruses, many tested bacteria, and even allergens.”
Traditional vaccines typically work by introducing weakened or inactivated bacteria or viruses into the body, training the immune system to recognise that specific threat.
Variations may use fragments of a pathogen’s surface or genetic material, or even non-toxic microbes – but each is limited to protecting against a single disease.
By contrast, Stanford’s nasal spray trains white blood cells in the lungs to react to all intruders – from COVID and seasonal flu to allergens such as pollen.
In animal trials, this immune effect lasted three months, reducing viral penetration of the lungs by an astonishing 100- to 1,000-fold.
Though not involved in the study, Oxford University vaccinologist Daniela Ferreira said the discovery could represent a ‘major step forward’ toward universal protection against dangerous seasonal infections.
“This is a truly exciting piece of research,” she said, adding that it could transform how we defend ourselves against respiratory illnesses – If the results are replicated in humans.
Experts caution, however, that humans differ significantly from the mice used in the trials.
Researchers note that the delivery method may need adjustment for human use, possibly switching from a nasal spray to a nebuliser to ensure the compounds reach the depths of the lungs.
Scientists at Liverpool University have also warned of potential risks associated with constantly placing the immune system on high alert, stressing that the consequences for recipients could be serious.
Stanford researchers emphasised that, if approved for human use, the universal vaccine would complement – not replace – traditional vaccines.
The timing of this breakthrough comes just after Spain was hit by an unusually early and nasty flu season in late 2025 and early 2026.
Cases started climbing far sooner than normal, surging past epidemic levels by mid-November and putting hospitals under serious pressure, especially in the Balearic Islands.
Flu numbers were high, with roughly 327 out of every 100,000 people catching acute respiratory infections, and 40 out of 100,000 confirmed with flu, climbing even higher through December.
The main culprit this year was influenza A(H3N2), the same strain sweeping across Europe.
It spread fast, and vaccines only offered partial protection. Among those hospitalised, about 23% got pneumonia, 4% needed ICU care, and most deaths were among the elderly and most vulnerable.
By early 2026, the flu started to ease off, following the usual seasonal pattern – but some regions still saw high numbers of cases.
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