A Miracle Within Trump’s Reach: Universal Flu Vaccine

One of the high points in President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress last week was his pledge to unleash a new era of drug development so grand that “our children will grow up in a nation of miracles.” Yet his main strategy for doing so -- slashing Food and Drug Administration regulations -- won’t solve one of the most pressing health challenges facing the country, and the world.

Over a dozen scientific teams have been working for years on a universal flu vaccine, one potentially capable of providing protection from virtually any possible flu strain -- and more importantly, stop the next flu pandemic in its tracks. But the market alone is not motivated to close the deal for one big reason: flu vaccines currently in production are just good enough to be not worth replacing.