All articles tagged with #vaccine
In a tense confirmation hearing, Erica Schwartz pledged to run the CDC based on science and independence, pushing back against the idea she’d rubber-stamp Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda and drawing comparisons to the former director Susan Monarez; the exchange underscored concerns about political interference at the agency amid a busy day of Capitol Hill budget and confirmation activity.
Regulators in the UK have approved phase-one trials for an Ebola vaccine developed at Oxford, kicking off just eight weeks after an outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The trial will recruit 50 healthy adults in the UK, with potential trials in Africa, and uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vector carrying a Bundibugyo Ebola gene. Cure/production is by Serum Institute of India. Researchers aim to assess safety and immune response in parallel with other Ebola vaccines, as there are no approved vaccines yet and three other candidates are in development.
Researchers report a novel vaccine concept that trains the immune system to recognize a broad fentanyl drug class rather than a single molecule by using a redesigned hapten attached to a carrier protein. In mice, the modified vaccine produced antibodies that bound fentanyl and several dangerous analogs (carfentanil, acetylfentanyl, furanylfentanyl) while ignoring morphine and other opioids, shifted fentanyl away from the brain into the blood, and prevented respiratory depression following exposure, indicating strong protection against overdose. The approach is intended as a safety net rather than a cure for addiction and translation to humans remains to be tested; researchers also plan broader testing and clinical trials, and they released the work patent-free.
Researchers report a decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a leading cause of diarrheal illness in children in low- and middle-income countries. The new vaccine approach targets a toxin produced by ETEC and has been licensed to Valneva for further development, marking a milestone though an approved vaccine is still years away. The work, led by the University of Bergen and NORCE, shows strong antibody responses and potential protection after early infection, but translation to an approved vaccine requires further lab studies, clinical trials, and regulatory review. In the meantime, travelers are advised to avoid high-risk foods, drink bottled water, and practice good hand hygiene.
New research across the U.S. and other countries finds that receiving the shingles vaccine—especially Shingrix—might lower dementia risk in older adults by reducing brain inflammation, though most studies are observational and benefits vary by sex and prior vaccination; vaccination rates are still low despite potential protection.
On Culture Apothecary, host Alex Clark and guest Bob Sears argue that measles is not typically fatal in well-nourished children, discuss Texas death reports as possibly due to complications after measles rather than the virus itself, and advocate nutrition and vitamin A to lessen measles severity. Sears questions the safety of the MMR vaccine, warns that declining vaccination could lead to more measles cases, and notes that historically improved diets helped reduce fatalities while suggesting a future safer vaccine may emerge.
A promising rVSV-based Ebola vaccine developed in 2011 has never progressed to human trials due to funding gaps, but with the Bundibugyo outbreak in Congo intensifying, researchers and WHO are rushing to test and manufacture it, aiming to use ring vaccination despite logistical and regulatory hurdles.
A new study finds that receiving the shingles vaccine could lower the risk of developing dementia among older adults, potentially preventing about one in 17 dementia cases.
An FDA advisory panel is evaluating Moderna’s experimental mRNA-based influenza vaccine, a first-of-its-kind flu shot, with safety and efficacy data under review to determine if it could join future vaccination programs.
An experimental fentanyl vaccine developed by ARMR Sciences showed promising results in an early human trial, marking the first fentanyl vaccine tested in people and offering potential to prevent overdoses and aid addiction treatment if effectiveness is confirmed in larger studies.
A JAMA Internal Medicine study of more than 1 million U.S. veterans found that receiving the 2024–2025 Covid-19 vaccine is associated with a lower risk of Covid-related major adverse cardiovascular events, particularly among those aged 75 and older; however, the study’s limitations include an older, predominantly white male population and no analysis of variant-specific vaccine effectiveness.
A new study finds the Covid-19 vaccine is linked to roughly a 40% lower risk of major cardiovascular events—such as heart attack, stroke, and hospitalization for heart disease—with protective effects appearing to persist for years.
A one-off two-dose meningitis B vaccination program will be offered to about one million young people across England, Wales and Scotland, focusing on Year 13/S6 pupils and 18–25s entering university or residential further education, with doses delivered through pharmacies and NHS channels this summer and autumn, to reduce risk amid recent MenB outbreaks in Kent, Weymouth and Reading.
An AI-designed universal coronavirus vaccine completed a Phase 1 trial in 39 healthy adults, showing a 100% safety profile and robust immune responses against diverse coronaviruses. Delivered via a needle-free microfluidic DNA platform, the vaccine targets conserved viral core features rather than mutable surface spikes, signaling a potential shift from variant boosters to a single broad defense. If Phase 2 confirms durability and broad protection, the approach could reshape vaccine design and public health logistics, including reduced cold-chain needs and biomedical waste.
A Moderna-developed personalized mRNA vaccine added to surgery and pembrolizumab reduced five-year melanoma recurrence by about half, with roughly 70% cancer-free in the vaccine group versus 49% in the standard group and a nearly 60% reduction in metastasis risk; the vaccine targets 34 neoantigens, is given post-surgery alongside immunotherapy in up to nine doses, and was well tolerated, though results from a larger phase 3 trial are needed to confirm efficacy and potential paradigm shift.