Researchers are developing an mRNA-based vaccine against the contagious H5N1 bird flu virus that is spreading rapidly among poultry and cattle and has already infected two humans in the United States.
Measles has made an unwelcome return to the U.S., with dozens of children across multiple states having caught the highly contagious viral disease so far this year. There are several reasons why measles has become a larger problem both here and worldwide as of late, but there’s one commonly speculated suspect for its…
A mosquito-borne disease best known for causing severe cranial deformities in babies may someday become humanity’s ally. Duke University scientists and others have created a weakened version of the Zika virus that could potentially be repurposed into a treatment for often fatal brain cancer. In lab experiments, their…
A German man seems to be no worse for wear after having allegedly gotten more than 200 covid-19 vaccine doses. In a new study out this week, scientists examined the man’s blood and saliva and found no evidence that the “hypervaccination” he went through harmed his immune response to covid-19 or his general health. If…
Here’s one weird trick for making the most out of your next two-dose vaccine: get a shot in both arms. A recent study found evidence that a two-arm approach can noticeably, if modestly, improve the body’s immune response to covid-19 compared to two shots in the same arm. More research will be needed to confirm whether…
Parents are increasingly finding ways to keep their children unvaccinated as they enter kindergarten, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. The percentage of parents claiming vaccine exemptions for their children has increased nationwide this year, with many states rising over 5%.…
New research links the rare neurological condition Guillain-Barré syndrome to covid-19. The study tracked millions of people in Israel, finding that those with a recent history of covid-19 infection were noticeably more likely to develop Guillain-Barré than those without one. Conversely, covid-19 vaccination appeared…
The anti-vaccination movement is going to the dogs. Recent survey data has suggested that a substantial proportion of American dog owners have doubts about their pets’ vaccines, including the rabies shot. Rabies is almost always fatal if not treated promptly, and routine canine vaccination has helped make pet and…
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to two scientists whose vaccine breakthrough contributed to developing the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.