• Targets entire family of viruses, animal-borne strains; aims to thwart future pandemics; initial-phase trials of 39 participants succeeded; larger efficacy studies loom • Experts hail move as ‘pivotal leap’ for humanity • Approach could end need for regular flu vaccine updates A “FUNDAMENTALLY new” vaccine designed entirely by artificial intelligence has been tested in people for the first time, in what researchers at the University of Cambridge describe as a potential breakthrough in the effort to prevent future pandemics, BBC reported. This experimental approach seeks to establish immunity against a broad range of viruses, including all known coronaviruses, rather than targeting a single circulating strain. Traditional vaccine development typically relies on a currently circulating viral strain.