So like, word on the street is that the Department of Health and Human Services decided to drop half-a-billion dollars on a National Institutes of Health project to cook up a vaccine platform for pathogens that could cause pandemics. And guess what? Some scientists who are all about vaccines had all sorts of mixed emotions about it.
Sure, it’s cool that HHS and NIH are putting money into making vaccines that could help out in future pandemics. But why are they dropping so much cash on using whole killed viruses as the basis for the vaccines? I mean, this method is like from the Stone Age, dating back to when Jonas Salk whipped up the first polio vaccine back in the day.
One scientist in the vaccine game was totally confused by the whole situation. They were like, “Why are we going back 70 years in time for this?” And another scientist who knows all about the research happening to create a universal flu vaccine was straight-up unimpressed. They were like, “This ain’t it, chief.”
A bunch of other scientists who chatted with STAT about this whole thing didn’t want their names out there because they were scared they might catch some heat for dissing the plan. The NIH is a big deal when it comes to funding science stuff.
A lot of these scientists were throwing shade at the fact that so much money was being poured into an outdated method of making vaccines. They were like, “Isn’t this like turning back the clock or something?” Arnold Monto, a veteran in vaccines, was like, “This ain’t exactly a big revelation, folks.”
The project announcement didn’t even mention how much dough was being thrown at it, but a little birdy told the Wall Street Journal it was around $500 million. Some scientists were side-eyeing how the funding was handed out too. Since the project is being led by in-house scientists, it didn’t have to go through the whole peer-reviewed process like projects at fancy academic institutions do. “It’s like a big ol’ family reunion,” one scientist snarked.
Stanley Plotkin, who helped create vaccines for rubella and rotavirus, had his doubts about how well thought out the project was. He was like, “Yeah, we need a better flu vaccine, but is this the answer? Who knows, man. I hope somebody smart looked at this.”
A bunch of scientists checked out the first round of results from a Phase 1 trial for the universal flu vaccine the NIH team is cooking up. They weren’t exactly blown away. The injected version seemed to do okay, but the nasal spray version? Not so much.
The project, called Generation Gold Standard, is all about using whole but dead viruses to make vaccines. The idea is to protect against those pesky viruses that could cause pandemics. Back in the old days, making vaccines with whole killed viruses was common practice. But things have changed, man. Newer methods are faster, safer, and make the immune system go, “Wow, thanks for the boost!”
The press release was all hyped up, calling it a “paradigm shift.” It claimed the new approach could whip up a flu vaccine that covers multiple strains, protects against coronaviruses, and even tackles other disease threats. They were even bold enough to say a universal flu vaccine could be ready by 2029. Talk about shooting for the stars!
But some of the scientists weren’t really feeling the love for this whole virus platform. They were worried it might mean ditching the mRNA vaccines that were clutch during the Covid mess. mRNA vaccines are speedy little guys compared to the slowpoke whole virus method. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. even jumped in, throwing shade at vaccines that only target one part of a pathogen. Dude, where’s the love for the mRNA vaccines?
So yeah, it’s a whole mess of opinions and doubts about this whole vaccine project. Time will tell if it’s the real deal or just another flop. But hey, at least they’re trying, right?
