NIH starts $500 million project for universal flu vaccine

A universal flu vaccine could be on the market by the end of the decade, thanks to a new $500 million vaccine program from the National Institutes of Health announced on Thursday.

The new initiative from the Health and Human Services Department, called “Generation Gold Standard,” is expected to start clinical trials next year for a universal flu vaccine, which would be meant to protect patients against any strain of the virus. Should trials be successful, the vaccine is on track for approval from the Food and Drug Administration by 2029.