Stanford Researchers Develop 'Universal Vaccine Formula' Nasal Spray

The potential cure-all protects mice against a wide range of allergens, bacteria, and respiratory viruses.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Stanford Medicine researchers claim they've invented a 'universal vaccine formula' that protects mice against a wide range of allergens, bacteria, and respiratory viruses. Instead of being administered by injection, the potential cure-all can be taken as a simple nasal spray. If the formula could be applied to humans, it would be a game-changer for people vulnerable to seasonal respiratory infections, the authors say.

Why it matters

Traditionally, vaccines work by mimicking a specific pathogen, but this approach has limitations - if the disease mutates or a new bug emerges, the vaccine won't be effective. The Stanford team's vaccine is 'unlike any vaccine used today' as it mimics the signals used by immune cells to communicate with each other as they fight an infection, focusing on the innate immune system which can provide broad protection.

The details

The innate immune system has traditionally been overlooked, but the Stanford researchers found that it can protect against a broad range of different microbes. In a 2023 study, they found that both the innate and adaptive immune response triggered by a tuberculosis vaccine lasted for several months, with the adaptive system's T-cells helping to sustain the innate response. In the new study, the team created a new vaccine with a protein from eggs that stimulates T-cells, and found that mice given the nasal spray vaccine showed virtually no symptoms and were protected for at least three months against various respiratory infections and allergens.

  • In 2023, Pulendran found that both the innate and adaptive immune response in mice triggered by a tuberculosis vaccine lasted for several months.
  • In the new study published in 2026, the team created a new vaccine and found that mice given the nasal spray vaccine showed protection for at least three months.

The players

Bali Pulendran

A professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford Medicine and the senior author of the study.

Florian Krammer

A vaccinologist from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who warned that our body's immune response may already be at its limits and can't be boosted much more, but agreed the vaccine 'should be tested in humans.'

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Imagine getting a nasal spray in the fall months that protects you from all respiratory viruses including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold, as well as bacterial pneumonia and early spring allergens. That would transform medical practice.”

— Bali Pulendran, Professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford Medicine (Stanford statement)

“What's remarkable about the innate system is that it can protect against a broad range of different microbes.”

— Bali Pulendran, Professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford Medicine (Stanford statement)

“I think what we have is a universal vaccine against diverse respiratory threats.”

— Bali Pulendran, Professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford Medicine (Stanford statement)

What’s next

The next step, Pulendran says, is to begin human trials, with the hopes that in five to seven years, a final version of the universal vaccine will be available.

The takeaway

This potential 'universal vaccine formula' delivered as a nasal spray represents a significant breakthrough in vaccine technology, moving away from the limitations of traditional vaccines that target specific pathogens and towards a more versatile approach that harnesses the innate immune system to provide broad protection against a range of respiratory threats.