WORCESTER, Mass. - With flu season in full swing, UMass Chan Medical School is leading a study to test a new form of flu vaccine. 

The trial is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a Pfizer vaccine currently in development. 

Traditional flu shots are only 40% effective in preventing infections, so there's hope this version could be a major step forward. 

The vaccine is based on modified RNA, which is the same platform used in the vaccines developed for COVID-19.

"There are many sites across the country and tens of thousands of people enrolling," UMass Chan Medical School researcher Dr. Jennifer Wang said, "and the goal is to understand if a new formulation of the flu vaccine is equal to or potentially better than the standard flu vaccine."

Right now, the medical school is seeking volunteers 65 and older, and in the next few weeks, trials will open to anyone over 18.