A Recombinant VSV-Based Bivalent Vaccine Effectively Protects against Both SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus Infection
Zhujun Ao, Maggie Jing Ouyang, Titus Abiola Olukitibi, Bryce M. Warner, Robert Vendramelli, Thang Truong, Courtney Meilleur, Manli Zhang, Sam Kung, Keith R. Fowke, Darwyn Kobasa, Xiaojian Yao
Abstract
Given that both COVID-19 and influenza are preferably transmitted through respiratory droplets during the same seasons, it is highly advantageous to develop a bivalent vaccine that could simultaneously protect against both COVID-19 and influenza. In this study, we generated the attenuated replicating recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-based vaccine candidates that target both spike protein of SARS-Cov-2 Delta variant and the conserved influenza M2 domain. Importantly, these vaccine candidates effectively protected hamsters or mice against the challenges of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and lethal H1N1 and H3N2 influenza viruses and significantly reduced respiratory viral loads.