Apr 3, 2019

NIH announces first human trial for universal flu vaccine

In this image, two gloved hands administer a shot into someone's shoulder.

Photo: Sergei Fadeichev\TASS via Getty Images

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health announced the start of the first in-human trial for a universal influenza vaccine on Wednesday, known as H1ssF_3928.

Driving the news: The creation of a universal vaccine has been prioritized by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in part to protect against a pandemic strain that could kill millions like the 1918 flu pandemic. The H1ssF_3928 clinical trial, which will gradually enroll at least 53 adults, is ongoing at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

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