U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut wants Congress to continue to fund research to create a universal flu vaccine that could improve protection against multiple strains of the flu over several years.
She said COVID-19 has shown how important it is to invest funding into flu vaccine research.
“We have seen first hand the benefits of providing scientists with the resources they need to study and create vaccines,” she said. “We must approach the universal flu vaccine with the same attention and focus.”
She introduced legislation this week to increase support for research underway at the National Institutes of Health.
“Since September 2018, I am proud that Congress has provided $540 million in dedicated funding for universal flu vaccine research,” she said. “And we must not stop until a universal flu vaccine or preventative is discovered and approved.”
DeLauro’s legislation would allocate another $200 million a year for the federal program through 2026.
