The news: The Trump administration is launching a project to develop universal vaccines that would protect against multiple strains of pandemic-prone viruses such as avian flu and coronaviruses. The initiative, called Generation Gold Standard, will be funded with $500 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a division within HHS, per the Wall Street Journal.

Digging into the details: Universal vaccines teach the immune system to defend against all versions of a pathogen—even versions that don’t exist, according to the NIH. Unlike traditional vaccines that target specific strains, Generation Gold Standard will use technology that produces vaccines from chemically inactivated whole viruses, per the WSJ. This approach preserves the virus’s structural integrity while eliminating infectivity.

Trump’s health department leaders expect clinical trials for universal flu vaccines to begin in 2026, with FDA approval targeted for 2029.

The problem: Scientists have previously worked on universal flu vaccines, but none have ever made it to market. One 2023 NIH clinical trial of a universal flu vaccine candidate is still in “active” trial phase but is not yet enrolling participants, per the ClinicalTrials.gov database.

There are various scientific and other challenges with developing universal vaccines. These include uncertainty over the most effective path to creating them, side effects, and clinical trial design, according to Scientific American.

The final word: The HHS-led project comes as there is hyper-focus on RFK Jr.’s viewpoint on vaccines, with heated debates over their health risks and if certain immunizations should be mandated. Experts across medicine and science agree that universal vaccines would be great in theory—and this project could be a sign that the administration isn’t as anti-vaccine as publicly perceived.

At the same time, vaccine makers might be confused about this investment when other signals from the FDA indicate that approval process timelines for pharma companies’ shots could be delayed.

What’s becoming clearer is that RFK’s team has its vision of what the “gold standard” of vaccine science should be—and now we’re about to see if drugmakers can adapt to it.

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