US scientists closing in on designing a universal Covid vaccine: podcast

North Carolina-based scientists say they may have designed a universal vaccine that could protect us from current and future Covid strains, but progress is being held back due to funding issues.

The dominant BA.4 and BA.5 strains have proven to evade vaccination immunity and to be more transmissible than previous versions of the virus, driving Covid numbers to peak in both Australia and the US.

"It's got the two best combinations which is not ideal for us, but nevertheless, this is where we are," says viral immunologist David Martinez from the University of North Carolina (US).

While their vaccine looks promising, Martinez says they're struggling to move to the next stage due to a lack of financial support.

"These next generation vaccines don't have the momentum that the first generation vaccines had," he says.

Join Nursing Review in a conversation with Martinez about what's on the horizon for the next-gen vaccinations and whether we can expect to see them on the Australian market soon.

Do you have an idea for a story?
Email [email protected]