US NIH begins human trials of 'universal' flu vaccine

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Friday that it has begun an early-stage study on its experimental vaccine targeting six strains of influenza virus.

The vaccine candidate, FluMos-v2, is designed to offer protection against four strains of the influenza A virus and two strains of influenza B virus, the health agency said.

The study is expected to enroll 24 healthy volunteers, aged between 18 and 50, who will receive two intramuscular injections of FluMos-v2 at a gap of 16 weeks, NIH said.

FluMos-v2 has been designed by researchers at NIAID's Vaccine Research Center.

COVID vaccine maker Moderna said on Wednesday its flu vaccine had generated a stronger immune response against all four A and B strains of the influenza virus compared to traditional flu shots in a late-stage trial.