A new type of mRNA vaccine has been developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania State University that is more effective and cheaper to develop than vaccines currently on the market.

The vaccine is still at an early stage and is yet to be tested in humans, but the researchers believe their prototype vaccine could help drug developers and health authorities respond more quickly to new pathogens or to new variants of known pathogens such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus or different strains of influenza.

During and after the COVID-19 pandemic five different strains of SARS-CoV-2 emerged— Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron—making existing vaccines less effective.

“The emergence of novel variants that compromise vaccine immunity presents a significant challenge, requ

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