Cornell researchers have developed a new vaccine platform that could offer stronger, longer-lasting protection against both COVID-19 and influenza, potentially transforming how these diseases are prevented worldwide.
The vaccine, detailed in a study published Jan. 29 in Science Advances, proved highly effective in mouse models, preventing illness and eliminating detectable virus in tissues.
“One of the big moments was when we started achieving 100% survival and lack of clinical disease in all of the vaccinated mice following challenge with either SARS-CoV-2 or influenza virus,” said Richard Adeleke, the study’s first author and a doctoral candidate in immunology and infectious diseases. “Then when there was no detectable virus in the tissues … that was a moment of very big excitement.”
The new vaccine addresses significant limitations of existing COVID-19 and flu vaccines. While mRNA COVID-19 vaccines require ultra-cold storage and flu vaccines often offer less than 50% efficacy against ever-changing strains, Cornell’s platform is designed for broader protection and greater stability.
“This is an exciting new modular technology that can accommodate glycoprotein antigens from many different viruses in a thermostable vaccine,” said senior author Hector Aguilar-Carreno, a virology professor at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Having multiple viral targets in the same vaccine makes the vaccine manufacturing process easier and cheaper.”
The vaccine relies on a modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a pathogen that primarily affects horses and cattle. Researchers removed the virus’s glycoproteins, rendering it non-replicative, and replaced them with key proteins from SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A. This design successfully triggered a strong immune response in mouse models.
Notably, the vaccine’s protection persisted for at least eight months, and it safeguarded against different flu strains—an advance that could lead to a more universal flu vaccine.
“Even achieving efficacy consistently above 50% is a huge step,” said David Buchholz, a postdoctoral researcher and the study’s corresponding author. “When we found protection with this vaccine from a different strain … that’s really the start of the holy grail pursuit when it comes to influenza vaccines.”
Seven million people have died from COVID-19 since 2019, and the World Health Organization estimates that flu claims up to 650,000 lives annually. A more effective and durable vaccine could significantly reduce these numbers, especially in regions where access to regular vaccination is limited.
The Cornell team has launched a startup, VIVA Viral Vaccines, Inc., to push the vaccine toward clinical trials and potential commercialization. Their research builds on prior success using the same VSV platform to develop vaccines against Nipah, Hendra, and Ebola viruses.
“It’s a modular platform,” Buchholz said. “We can take whatever proteins we want, put those various combinations onto the surface. And multiple times, we’ve been able to get very good protection.”
The vaccine’s thermostability, longer immunity, and broad flu protection could reshape public health strategies. If further trials confirm its promise, annual flu shots—and frequent COVID-19 boosters—may become a thing of the past.
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