Game Changer? Single Vaccine Could Protect Against Coughs, Colds, And Flu

Cough, colds, and flu are contagious viral respiratory infections with same symptoms, however flu hits harder often associated with fever, severe body aches, and tiredness. Cold is often accompanies by runny nose and sore throat that may take nearly 7 days to heal. However, soon there will be single nasal spray vaccine that could offer protection against coughs, colds, and flus along with other bacterial lung infections. The vaccine may also help in easing allergies, according to a claim by US researchers.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), "people with the flu should rest and drink plenty of liquids. Most people will recover on their own within a week. Medical care may be needed in severe cases and for people with risk factors."

According to a report featured in BBC, researchers at Stanford University tested a “universal vaccine” in animals with human trials yet to be conducted. Their method marks a "radical departure" from the way vaccines have been designed for over 200 years. Experts in the field said the study was “really exciting” despite being at an early stage and could be a “major step forward”. Existing vaccines train the body to fight one single infection. A measles vaccine protects against only measles and a chickenpox vaccine protects against only chickenpox.

This is how immunisation has worked since Edward Jenner pioneered vaccines in the late 18th Century. The approach described in the journal Science does not train the immune system. Instead it mimics the way immune cells communicate with each other. It is given as a nasal spray and leaves white blood cells in our lungs – called macrophages – on "amber alert" and ready to jump into action no matter what infection tries to get in. The effect lasted for around three months in animal experiments, added the BBC report.

The researchers highlighted this increased state of readiness led to a 100-to-1,000-fold reduction in viruses getting through the lungs and into the body. And for those that did sneak through, the rest of the immune system was "poised, ready to fend off these in warp speed time" said Prof Bali Pulendran, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford. The team showed the vaccine also protects against two species of bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii.

According to the findings published in Science, “Traditional vaccines target specific pathogens, limiting their scope against diverse respiratory threats. We describe an intranasal liposomal formulation combining toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and 7/8 ligands with a model antigen, ovalbumin, that provided broad, durable protection in mice for at least 3 months against infection with SARS-CoV-2 and Staphylococcus aureus.”

Apart from viruses, the spray can also protect against two major bacterial threats: Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii, both of which can cause severe lung infections and are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.