Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Holistic approach needed to combat malaria in sub-Saharan Africa

From fixing open gutters to educating kids about the importance of bed nets, a “whole-of-society” approach is needed to successfully shut down malaria, according to Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of RBM Partnership to End Malaria—a global grouping of over 500 organisations dedicated to fighting the disease.

2 Jan 2025

Blood cells linked to long-lasting vaccine immunity

When children receive their second measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, around the time they start kindergarten, they gain protection against all three viruses for all or most of their lives.

2 Jan 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Francis Collins on supporting NIH and finding common ground

This week, KFF Health News' "What the Health?" presents a conversation with Francis Collins, former National Institutes of Health director and White House science adviser.

2 Jan 2025

Public health experts outline critical steps in handling HPAI H5N1 spread

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A virus (HPAI H5N1) remains a low risk to the general public, and public health experts in the United States believe that available treatments and vaccines, as well as those in development, are sufficient to prevent severe disease.

2 Jan 2025

AI-driven surveillance system to combat emerging infectious diseases

Researchers have come up with a new way to identify more infectious variants of viruses or bacteria that start spreading in humans - including those causing flu, COVID, whooping cough and tuberculosis.

2 Jan 2025

Immunocompromised adults show weaker response to RSV vaccines

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have shown that people 60 years or older with weakened immunity - primarily organ transplant recipients who take immunosuppressive medications to reduce the risk of rejection and others with immune system disorders - do not respond as strongly to vaccines against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as people in the same age group with normal immune function.

30 Dec 2024

WHO TAG-CO-VAC reviews COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and antigen composition

The WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) continues to closely monitor the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants, immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination, and the performance of COVID-19 vaccines against circulating variants.

24 Dec 2024

RSV vaccine acceptance grows amidst rising flu concerns

A year after becoming available, vaccines to protect against RSV in newborns and older adults are being more widely accepted by the American public, according to a new Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) health survey conducted in November 2024.

23 Dec 2024

Wellness influencers show higher rates of vaccine opposition on social media

Wellness influencers showed higher rates of vaccine opposition on social media compared to other users’ accounts, according to a new University of Michigan study.

23 Dec 2024

New insights into respiratory syncytial virus and prevention strategies

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infections, particularly in infants, children under 5 years, and older adults. Its rapid spread makes RSV a serious public health concern. Currently, there are no effective medications for RSV, and current treatment focuses on providing supportive care and preventing its spread.

20 Dec 2024

Rwanda successfully controls Marburg virus outbreak

An outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in Rwanda has officially been declared over by the Government of Rwanda, with no new cases recorded since the last patient tested negative on 7 November 2024, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

20 Dec 2024

How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

Keith Poulsen's jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October.

20 Dec 2024

A scaffolded vaccine approach for broader influenza protection

Most people who get the seasonal influenza vaccine – which contains strains of viruses from distinct virus subtypes – mount a strong immune response to one strain, leaving them vulnerable to infection by the others, and researchers have long wondered what impacts such variable responses more – host genetics or prior exposure to virus strains.

19 Dec 2024

Pregnant women must be prioritized in pandemic vaccination programs

The vast majority of women who contract bird flu during pregnancy and their unborn baby will die from the virus, according to a new study. And the findings stress the importance of early inclusion of pregnant women in public health vaccination programs during pandemics.

19 Dec 2024