Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Candidate hepatitis C mRNA vaccine induces protective immunity in animal model

In a recent study published in the npj vaccines journal, researchers assessed the immune protection elicited by messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines delivering Hepatitis C virus (HCV) E1 and modified E2.

23 Mar 2023

Monovalent vs. bivalent vaccines – Which is more effective against SARS-CoV-2?

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers in France compared the efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech Original/BA.4-5 bivalent vaccine compared to messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) Original (ancestral) monovalent vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

22 Mar 2023

Dampened mucosal response against SARS-CoV-2 in pregnant individuals

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers examined associations between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes and mucosal antibody responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and viral RNA levels in pregnant individuals.

22 Mar 2023

SARS-CoV-2 infection damages CD8+ T cell response

In a recent study published in the journal Immunity, a team of researchers from the United States found that previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections reduce the activation and expansion of CD8+ T cells in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations.

22 Mar 2023

Emergence and persistency of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.3.7 in Taiwan

Researchers utilize whole-genome surveillance to monitor community transmission and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in Taiwan.

22 Mar 2023

SARS-CoV-2 infection enhances vaccine-induced immunological memory against spike protein

Researchers assess SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-specific immunological memory among unvaccinated and vaccinated convalescents.

22 Mar 2023

Novel subset of memory B cells predicts long-lived antibody responses to influenza vaccination

Memory B cells play a critical role to provide long-term immunity after a vaccination or infection. In a study published in the journal Immunity, researchers describe a distinct and novel subset of memory B cells that predict long-lived antibody responses to influenza vaccination in humans.

22 Mar 2023

Study reveals why COVID-19 subvariants spread rapidly among previously infected people

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed nearly 7 million people worldwide (1.1 million in the United States) and severely harmed many millions more, though vaccines and antiviral treatments measurably reduced the potential loss of life and health.

22 Mar 2023

Low-cost, universal oral COVID-19 vaccine prevents severe respiratory illness in hamsters

A UCLA-led team has developed an inexpensive, universal oral COVID-19 vaccine that prevented severe respiratory illness and weight loss when tested in hamsters, which are naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

22 Mar 2023

Tetravalent COVID vaccine provides broad antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants in animal model

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers in Italy and the United States evaluated the efficacy and immunogenicity of an adjuvanted tetravalent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein subunit 1 (S1) COVID-19 vaccine.

21 Mar 2023

Prior COVID and vaccination generate superior hybrid immunity

In a recent article published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers in France performed a long-term longitudinal analysis to demonstrate the benefits of hybrid immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), i.e., induced by viral infection followed by vaccination.

21 Mar 2023

Paxlovid is 80% effective when taken within 5 days of severe COVID

In a recent study published in The Lancet’s Infectious Diseases, researchers in the United States evaluated nirmatrelvir–ritonavir treatment effectiveness against hospitalizations and deaths among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outpatients in the United States of America (USA).

21 Mar 2023

The effectiveness of mRNA vaccines during Omicron BA.4/5 predominance

Researchers evaluate vaccine effectiveness for two, three, and four doses of COVID-19 mRNA first-generation vaccines.

21 Mar 2023

Researchers identify the cellular glitches underlying a rare genetic disorder

The cellular glitches underlying a rare genetic disorder called activated PI3K Delta syndrome 2 (APDS2) have been identified by researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. The disorder is caused by genetic variations that disrupt immune cell signaling through a protein called PI3K.

21 Mar 2023

SARS-CoV-2 infection damages the CD8+ T cell response to vaccination

The magnitude and quality of a key immune cell's response to vaccination with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were considerably lower in people with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to people without prior infection, a study has found.

20 Mar 2023

UK Government names two leaders to spearhead new Dementia Mission

The UK Government has named two leaders in dementia research to spearhead the ambitious national Mission to tackle dementia, which was launched in memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor.

20 Mar 2023

New SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 variant has high transmissibility and infectivity, study finds

COVID-19 has caused significant global panic after its rapid emergence more than 3 years ago. Although we now have highly effective vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, scientists continue to study emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants in order to safeguard public health and devise global preventive strategies against emerging variants.

20 Mar 2023