San Antonio scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute are working on a new kind of flu shot that could stretch protection out for years instead of just one winter. Their strategy is to train the immune system to zero in on parts of the influenza virus that stay relatively stable from season to season, instead of constantly chasing fast-changing strains. The project is still in the research phase, but lab leaders say they are getting ready for animal studies and, if those check out, human trials.
“Maybe people would only need to get a flu vaccine, say, every five years instead of every single year,” said Dr. Lee‑Ann Allen, executive vice president of research at Texas Biomed, in a recent interview. That possibility, along with the plan to focus on conserved viral components, was highlighted in reporting by KSAT.
Targeting Stable Parts Of The Virus
Virologist Dr. Luis Martinez‑Sobrido and colleagues are designing vaccine candidates that display protein segments shared across influenza A and B viruses, an approach meant to deliver broader, longer-lasting immunity. An in-depth profile in San Antonio Report notes that Martinez‑Sobrido’s work was paused during the pandemic and later shifted toward a universal flu vaccine concept. By aiming at conserved viral sites, scientists say they could rely less on year-to-year strain guessing and shore up protection in seasons when the vaccine match is not so great.
Funding And Next Steps
The project has pulled in outside backing. In 2023, the American Lung Association Research Institute announced a multi-year award to speed the universal-flu-vaccine effort, according to a release shared via PR Newswire. Local researchers say they are moving toward animal testing and hope to advance to clinical trials if the early data hold up, a process that could still leave several years between success in the lab and any licensed shot, as reported by KSAT.
What This Means For San Antonio
For now, the flu playbook stays the same. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a seasonal flu vaccine every year, according to the CDC. Even with the tantalizing idea of a longer-lasting shot, experts point out that careful safety checks, regulatory review and the challenge of manufacturing at scale add up to a multi-year wait before any new regimen could replace the annual jab, a reality underscored in local coverage by San Antonio Report.
Texas Biomed researchers say they plan to share results as they go and line up partners who can help carry promising vaccine candidates through the long trial process. For San Antonians, it is a reminder that cutting-edge vaccine work is happening in their backyard, even if it may be years before it changes what happens at the pharmacy counter every fall.
