Illustration: Timo Lenzen

Apr 1st 2026|7 min read

THE VITAL importance of vaccines is most apparent when they fall short. The covid-19 pandemic showed how quickly a new virus can spread while scientists race to catch up with jabs. Fast-evolving viruses can also evade existing protections. Each year’s flu vaccine is designed based on scientists’ best guess about which strains will dominate, given what was circulating the season before. In 2025 the H3N2 strain developed several mutations after the World Health Organisation had selected which variants should be included, blunting the vaccine’s effectiveness. The result was an early and severe flu season in both America and Europe.

Baby bottle with measurement markings and a smiling pink nipple on a blue background.

Scientists are working on “everything vaccines”