By Mia De Graaf Health Editor In Washington, Dc For Dailymail.com
Published: 20:06 GMT, 16 February 2019 | Updated: 20:06 GMT, 16 February 2019
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The US government has pledged $1 billion towards finding a universal flu vaccine in five years.
Health officials are happy to receive the funds - though they say the goal is impossible.
'The aspirational goal, that I'm even concerned is attainable, is to cover everything,' Dr Anthony Fauci, head of infectious disease at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), told a conference on Saturday.
'You could have a relatively universal vaccine,' he said. But right now, their studies are nothing more than 'intellectually promising.'
'Whether they will turn into being a home run or a base hit, we don't know yet.'
There are multiple strains of flu, and within them multiple types which keep mutating. And they all affect each person differently. That makes a universal flu shot unlikely
Gary Nabel, chief scientific officer at Sanofi, which produces the flu vaccine, agreed.
'I doubt we will see progress within five years. Probably progress incremental progress,' he said.
'We have a moving target. The challenge is, with all of the genetic
