Could The Live Flu Vaccine Help You Fight Off COVID-19?

The nasal spray version of the flu vaccine contains live but weakened form of the virus. Researchers think there’s a good chance this could help boost the body’s immunity and improve its ability to fight off pathogens such as the coronavirus.

Tim Sloan / AFP via Getty Images

In case you were still procrastinating getting a flu shot this year, here’s another reason to make it a priority.

There’s a chance the vaccine could offer some protection against COVID-19 itself, says virologist Robert Gallo, who directs the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is chairman of the Global Virus Network.

The key is getting the right flu vaccine, says Gallo, who was one of the main scientists credited with discovering HIV. “The vaccine has to have a live virus in it. The virus is attenuated so it doesn’t cause disease, but otherwise the virus is alive.”