Developing a common cold vaccine is challenging because of the vast number of viruses that cause the common cold and the fact that these viruses continue to change (mutate) over time, making it difficult to target a virus.Vaccinesthat help boost the immune system are an important public health strategy that protects againstinfections. Despite efforts to make a vaccine for thecommon cold, one has yet to be developed.Learn more about the reasons why a common cold vaccine has not been created and why we may not need one.J Studios / Getty ImagesChallenges in Making a Cold VaccineVaccines target specific bacterial or viral germs that cause various illnesses. One of the difficulties in making a vaccine for the common cold is that there are at least 200 different viruses that can causecold symptoms.Rhinovirusesare the viruses that cause most common colds.And, there are about 160 different types of this particular virus that can lead to cold symptoms.Vaccines are typically somewhat specific, so one vaccine wouldn’t be able to protect against all possible types of viruses that cause the common cold.Another challenge with making a common cold vaccine is that common viruses often mutate—this can mean that vaccines could be ineffective against new variants.Do We Need a Common Cold Vaccine?Each year, millions of people in the United States get the common cold. Adults may have about two colds a year, while children tend to have more.While it may be frustrating to have a cold, it rarely leads to serious issues. They tend to go away within seven to 10 days.Simple treatmentscan help relieve symptoms, such as:RestingUsing over-the-countercold medicineDrinking plenty of fluidsUsing anair humidifier, which adds moisture to the airIf a cold triggers more serious issues, they tend to be treatable, such asear infections.Vaccines are often made to protect people against illnesses that could cause serious damage or death.Vaccine research can take a lot of resources, such as time and money. For this reason, resources tend to go towards more serious illnesses, such astetanus, whooping cough, andCovid-19.The common cold is not usually dangerous for the majority of people who get it.Verywell / Kelly MillerHowever, preventing the common cold is important. A common cold vaccine could help those with lung issues, likeasthmaorchronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with these lung conditions can have more severe symptoms when they develop a cold.People who have compromised immune systems could also benefit from a common cold vaccine. For example, people with HIV infection or undergoing cancer treatment can develop a more severe illness when they get a cold.While there are challenges to developing a vaccine against the common cold, these challenges might not be insurmountable.Research and Vaccine DevelopmentResearch on the development of a common cold vaccine suggests that a vaccine for the common cold is not likely in the near future.A study that compiled past and present research on the development of a rhinovirus vaccine noted that:It will be difficult to develop the vaccine because rhinovirus infects quickly and mutates, or changes, quickly.In clinical trials that tested a cold vaccine with just one strain, results showed that it was not protective.In clinical trials that focused on a cold vaccine with 10 strains, results also found it to be ineffective.If a cold vaccine does get developed, it will likely need to provide broad protection against many strains of rhinovirus.Despite these challenges, animal studies suggest that significant cross-serotype protection is possible. This means that one virus strain protects against other strains of the virus.SummaryCold vaccines are difficult to make because there are so many viruses that can cause cold symptoms and they mutate regularly. Even though colds impact millions of people a year, they tend to go away on their own and don’t typically cause serious issues in the majority of people infected.However, some people with underlying medical conditions can get very sick due to the common cold and a cold vaccine would be especially helpful to them. So far research has not found an effective way to create this particular vaccine.
Developing a common cold vaccine is challenging because of the vast number of viruses that cause the common cold and the fact that these viruses continue to change (mutate) over time, making it difficult to target a virus.
Vaccinesthat help boost the immune system are an important public health strategy that protects againstinfections. Despite efforts to make a vaccine for thecommon cold, one has yet to be developed.
Learn more about the reasons why a common cold vaccine has not been created and why we may not need one.
J Studios / Getty Images
Challenges in Making a Cold Vaccine
Vaccines target specific bacterial or viral germs that cause various illnesses. One of the difficulties in making a vaccine for the common cold is that there are at least 200 different viruses that can causecold symptoms.
Rhinovirusesare the viruses that cause most common colds.And, there are about 160 different types of this particular virus that can lead to cold symptoms.
Vaccines are typically somewhat specific, so one vaccine wouldn’t be able to protect against all possible types of viruses that cause the common cold.
Another challenge with making a common cold vaccine is that common viruses often mutate—this can mean that vaccines could be ineffective against new variants.
Do We Need a Common Cold Vaccine?
Each year, millions of people in the United States get the common cold. Adults may have about two colds a year, while children tend to have more.
While it may be frustrating to have a cold, it rarely leads to serious issues. They tend to go away within seven to 10 days.
Simple treatmentscan help relieve symptoms, such as:
If a cold triggers more serious issues, they tend to be treatable, such asear infections.
Vaccines are often made to protect people against illnesses that could cause serious damage or death.Vaccine research can take a lot of resources, such as time and money. For this reason, resources tend to go towards more serious illnesses, such astetanus, whooping cough, andCovid-19.
The common cold is not usually dangerous for the majority of people who get it.
Verywell / Kelly Miller
However, preventing the common cold is important. A common cold vaccine could help those with lung issues, likeasthmaorchronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with these lung conditions can have more severe symptoms when they develop a cold.
People who have compromised immune systems could also benefit from a common cold vaccine. For example, people with HIV infection or undergoing cancer treatment can develop a more severe illness when they get a cold.
While there are challenges to developing a vaccine against the common cold, these challenges might not be insurmountable.
Research and Vaccine Development
Research on the development of a common cold vaccine suggests that a vaccine for the common cold is not likely in the near future.
A study that compiled past and present research on the development of a rhinovirus vaccine noted that:
Despite these challenges, animal studies suggest that significant cross-serotype protection is possible. This means that one virus strain protects against other strains of the virus.
Summary
Cold vaccines are difficult to make because there are so many viruses that can cause cold symptoms and they mutate regularly. Even though colds impact millions of people a year, they tend to go away on their own and don’t typically cause serious issues in the majority of people infected.
However, some people with underlying medical conditions can get very sick due to the common cold and a cold vaccine would be especially helpful to them. So far research has not found an effective way to create this particular vaccine.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common cold.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing respiratory viruses.Lee WM, Lemanske RF, Evans MD, et al.Human rhinovirus species and season of infection determine illness severity.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012;186(9):886-891. doi:10.1164/rccm.201202-0330OCSimancas-Racines D, Franco JV, Guerra CV, Felix ML, Hidalgo R, Martinez-Zapata MJ.Vaccines for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;5:CD002190. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002190.pub5Johns Hopkins Medicine.Common cold.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Understanding how vaccines work.McLean GR.Developing a vaccine for human rhinoviruses.J Vaccines Immun. 2014;2(3):16-20. doi:10.14312/2053-1273.2014-3
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common cold.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing respiratory viruses.Lee WM, Lemanske RF, Evans MD, et al.Human rhinovirus species and season of infection determine illness severity.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012;186(9):886-891. doi:10.1164/rccm.201202-0330OCSimancas-Racines D, Franco JV, Guerra CV, Felix ML, Hidalgo R, Martinez-Zapata MJ.Vaccines for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;5:CD002190. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002190.pub5Johns Hopkins Medicine.Common cold.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Understanding how vaccines work.McLean GR.Developing a vaccine for human rhinoviruses.J Vaccines Immun. 2014;2(3):16-20. doi:10.14312/2053-1273.2014-3
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common cold.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing respiratory viruses.Lee WM, Lemanske RF, Evans MD, et al.Human rhinovirus species and season of infection determine illness severity.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012;186(9):886-891. doi:10.1164/rccm.201202-0330OCSimancas-Racines D, Franco JV, Guerra CV, Felix ML, Hidalgo R, Martinez-Zapata MJ.Vaccines for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;5:CD002190. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002190.pub5Johns Hopkins Medicine.Common cold.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Understanding how vaccines work.McLean GR.Developing a vaccine for human rhinoviruses.J Vaccines Immun. 2014;2(3):16-20. doi:10.14312/2053-1273.2014-3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common cold.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing respiratory viruses.
Lee WM, Lemanske RF, Evans MD, et al.Human rhinovirus species and season of infection determine illness severity.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012;186(9):886-891. doi:10.1164/rccm.201202-0330OC
Simancas-Racines D, Franco JV, Guerra CV, Felix ML, Hidalgo R, Martinez-Zapata MJ.Vaccines for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;5:CD002190. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002190.pub5
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Common cold.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Understanding how vaccines work.
McLean GR.Developing a vaccine for human rhinoviruses.J Vaccines Immun. 2014;2(3):16-20. doi:10.14312/2053-1273.2014-3
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