Researchers at Stanford Medicine have developed something that has eluded science for over two centuries: a universal vaccine. Delivered as a simple nasal spray, it protects against a remarkably wide range of respiratory viruses, bacteria, and even allergens — all in one dose.
In a study published in the journal Science on February 19, 2026, the team showed that vaccinated mice were protected against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii (common hospital-acquired infections), and house dust mites (a common allergen). The vaccine has worked against every respiratory threat tested so far.
Breaking 230 Years of Vaccine Science
Since Edward Jenner coined the term "vaccination" in the 1790s, every vaccine has relied on the same principle: antigen specificity. You show the immune system a piece of the pathogen — like COVID's spike protein — so it learns to recognise the real thing.
The problem? Pathogens mutate. That's why we need new flu shots and COVID boosters every year.
"It's becoming increasingly clear that many pathogens are able to quickly mutate. Like the proverbial leopard that changes its spots, a virus can change the antigens on its surface." — Bali Pulendran, PhD, Senior Author
A Radically New Approach
The Stanford vaccine doesn't try to mimic any part of a pathogen at all. Instead, it mimics the signals that immune cells use to communicate with each other during an infection. This novel strategy integrates both branches of immunity — innate and adaptive — creating a broad, powerful defence.
Because the vaccine doesn't target specific viral or bacterial structures, it doesn't become obsolete when pathogens mutate. It's protection that works regardless of what the threat looks like.
"We were interested in this idea because it sounded a bit outrageous. I think nobody was seriously entertaining that something like this could ever be possible." — Bali Pulendran
What This Could Mean
If translated into humans — and human clinical trials are being fast-tracked — this could replace multiple annual jabs with a single nasal spray. No needles. Broad protection. Months of coverage.
Perhaps most importantly, such a vaccine would be ready for the next pandemic before it even arrives. Instead of racing to develop pathogen-specific vaccines (as the world did with COVID-19), a universal vaccine could provide immediate baseline protection.
The study was led by postdoctoral scholar Haibo Zhang, PhD, in the lab of Bali Pulendran, the Violetta L. Horton Professor II and professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford.
After 230 years of antigen-specific vaccines, the paradigm may finally be shifting. And it starts with a spray up the nose. 🌬️🔬💪