Combination nasal spray vaccine could protect against COVID, flu and pneumonia at the same time

A single spray could offer simultaneous protection against several infectious diseases.

Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a new vaccine that could prevent multiple viruses at once, including COVID-19, influenza and pneumonia.

The vaccine is administered “intranasally” via a nasal spray, which provides “broad protection in the lungs for several months,” according to a news release from Stanford Medicine.

Researchers say this is the closest science has come to creating a universal vaccine that protects against respiratory viruses, bacteria and allergens.

The study, published in the journal Science, examined the impact of the vaccine on mice. The animals were given one drop in the nose and some received multiple doses a week apart.

Each mouse was then exposed to a respiratory virus. While vaccinated mice experienced protection for at least three months, unvaccinated mice experienced dramatic weight loss due to illness, lung inflammation, and death. All of the vaccinated mice survived and had clear lungs, according to the statement.

Vaccinated mice were also found to be protected against SARS-CoV02 and other coronaviruses, as well as Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii, which are common hospital-acquired infections, and house dust mites, a common allergen.

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The universal vaccine does not target a single virus, but instead trains the lungs’ immune system to “provide broad protection against many different respiratory viruses,” study senior author Bali Pulendran, PhD, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford, told News Digital.

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“By reprogramming innate immune cells that act within hours of infection, the vaccine prepares the lungs to fight many different respiratory viruses, even new ones,” he said.

“Our findings point to what might be possible in the future, but they are not a substitute for currently existing vaccines.”

If moved to humans, a vaccine like this could replace “multiple injections each year for seasonal respiratory infections and be available in case a new pandemic virus emerges,” according to Pulendran.

“Imagine receiving a nasal spray in the fall months that protects you from all respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold, as well as bacterial pneumonia and early spring allergens,” the researcher said. “That would transform medical practice.”

The study results suggest that the immune system can be “trained to mount a more widespread antiviral defense in the lungs,” Pulendran added.

The researcher acknowledged that the study has some limitations.

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It is a preclinical study conducted in animal models, making it an “important proof of concept rather than a finished human vaccine,” Pulendran said.

“Although the results are encouraging, additional studies are needed to determine safety, optimal dosing and effectiveness in people,” he added.

According to Pulendran, this research should not change current medical advice, and the public should continue to trust approved vaccines and public health guidelines.

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“Our goal is not to replace current vaccines, but to complement them by developing strategies that could provide an additional layer of protection against a wide range of respiratory threats, including future pandemics,” Pulendran added. “Translation to humans will require careful clinical testing.”

The scientists’ next step will be to test the vaccine in humans. With sufficient funding, Pulendran predicts the vaccine could be available in five to seven years.

Dr. Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., medical director of the Arkansas-based National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, confirmed that “there has been longstanding interest” in developing universal vaccines.

Hopkins, who was not involved in the study, cautioned that immune responses in mice are not identical to those in humans.

“This process is a fascinating concept and the study is very interesting, but many additional steps need to be completed successfully and safely before this can be considered in humans,” he told News Digital.

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“It will likely take many years, require significant financial investment, and involve multiple additional studies before we know whether this particular universal vaccine candidate can be safely administered to humans and whether it will provide similar protection against respiratory bacteria and viruses.”

The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Professor Violetta L. Horton Endowment, the Soffer Fund Endowment, and Open Philanthropy.