
About this episode
There’s the flu vaccine. The covid shot. The RSV shot… What if all of these—and more—could be combined into one universal vaccine? That’s what immunologist Bali Pulendran is working on in his lab. For this episode in our Tech Camp series, Regina G. Barber talks to him about how far he’s gotten, how far he has to go and why our ancient immune system is the key to it all. Plus they discuss how the vaccine may not be a shot at all—but a needle-free nasal spray.
Sources:
Mucosal vaccination in mice provides protection from diverse respiratory threats
Non-specific effects of BCG vaccine on viral infections
Interested in more science of the future? Email us your question at [email protected].
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Sources:
Mucosal vaccination in mice provides protection from diverse respiratory threats
Non-specific effects of BCG vaccine on viral infections
Interested in more science of the future? Email us your question at [email protected].
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
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