A research team led by Dr. Jonah Sacha at the Oregon Health and Science University has developed what may become a universal vaccine against influenza.  This is especially important given the need for a broad-spectrum product to protect populations against the emergence of a pandemic strain of influenza.

The vaccine uses a herpes cytomegalovirus (CMV) that is ubiquitous and generally asymptomatic as a vector.  The CMV-vectored virus incorporating influenza antigens selected from the 1918 pandemic strain induces a T-cell response. In trials conducted at the Oregon Health and Science University, 6 of 11 cynomolgus macaques survived exposure to the 1918 virus, an unimpressive level of protection, compared to six of the unvaccinated controls that died following infection.

The research team considers that the CMV-vectored virus could become commercially available within five years by which time, mRNA vaccines will have undergone further refinement and approval and will be widely deployed.