Federal health officials on May 1 announced a new effort to develop vaccines targeting a range of viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Generation Gold Standard project will fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH) development of “universal influenza and coronavirus vaccines” that “aim to provide broad-spectrum protection against multiple strains of pandemic-prone viruses,” including the avian influenza—commonly known as the bird flu—and SARS-CoV-2, or the virus that causes COVID-19, the NIH and its parent agency said in a statement.
The budget of the new project has not been disclosed. Officials said that it was being promoted over Project NextGen, a $5 billion initiative started in 2023 under the previous administration that focused primarily on COVID-19….