Potential Universal Vaccine Could Prevent Swine, Human, and Bird Flu
The investigators hope to pursue a human vaccine in order to improve upon the already existing vaccines.
A vaccine protecting against H1N1, or swine flu, could also protect against influenza for humans and birds, according to research published in Nature Communications. The data were collected by investigators at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.1,2
The investigators hope to pursue a human vaccine in order to improve upon the already existing vaccines. | Image Credit: abhijith3747 - stock.adobe.com
“This research sets the stage for developing universal influenza vaccines, so people won’t have to go to the doctor and get a flu shot every year,” Eric Weaver, PhD, virologist from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, said.1 “This vaccine will protect you against the different strains that are out there.”
The results confirm previous data showing that the vaccine design can protect against the H3 influenza subtypes. Influenza is one of the most common infectious diseases, which infects approximately 20 to 40 million people in the United States every respiratory season. Influenza is contagious, with every person expected to infect approximately 1 to 2 more people.1,3
Experts call for more enhanced approaches to curb the spread of H5N1, known as the bird flu, before it reaches a pandemic-level event. Currently, the outbreak is not very alarming to the general public, with 70 total human cases being reported in February 2025, but there are concerns that the infection could impact public health and raise alarms if left unresolved. There have been 2 US patients hospitalized with bird flu as of March 2025.4,5
“If we can prevent influenza in swine, we can also prevent zoonotic jumps from avians to swine to humans, or from swine directly to humans. We could basically cut off this evolutionary arsenal or advantage that the virus has,” Weaver said in the news release. “The ultimate goal is to eliminate or eradicate influenza.”
In the Epigraph algorithm, which analyzed genetic codes of more than 6000 strains of influenza, investigators created multivalent vaccine immunogens to represent potential T and B cell epitopes of diverse viral protein sequences. The pig models that were immunized with the vaccine had more robust cross-reactive cell-mediated immune responses than pigs immunized with wild-type immunogens. They also demonstrated a significant reduction of clinical disease, reduction of lung lesions, and lower microscopic monopathy compared with other immunization groups. The data confirms the further investigation and optimization of the vaccine against influenza A.2
In the analysis, the vaccine showed protection for human influenza varieties, which Weaver believes could be a major leap forward in vaccine development.1
“Our ability to understand how viruses evolve has increased exponentially in the past 20 years,” he said.1 “What I see on the horizon is a third wave, where we go from good vaccines to universal lifelong vaccines.”
In further studies, the investigators hope to pursue a human vaccine in order to improve upon the already existing vaccines.
READ MORE: Influenza Resource Center
Ready to impress your pharmacy colleagues with the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips? Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter.
