Vaccines

As the US Government invests billions of dollars into COVID-19 antiviral research, scientists are racing to develop a pill that people can take at home to treat the disease in its earliest stages.

BioNTech, the pioneering mRNA company responsible for one of the world’s first COVID-19 vaccines, is now looking to develop an mRNA malaria vaccine. Working with the World Health Organization the company hopes to begin human trials sometime next year.

A big flush of funding in the UK is pushing new research on ways to diagnose and treat long COVID. A University of Cambridge team is now working on a blood test to objectively diagnose this emerging chronic condition using immune biomarkers.

A new heat-tolerant COVID-19 vaccine has delivered strong preclinical results. The vaccine can remain stable for up to 30 days at around 37 °C (98 °F) and researchers are looking to begin human trials later this year.

When will COVID-19 vaccine booster shots be necessary? Pfizer claims a third booster of its vaccine may be needed six to 12 months after vaccination but not everyone is convinced, with new research finding mRNA vaccines may offer years of protection.

Through a world-first trial, scientists in the UK have demonstrated the potential of a new vaccine for a life-threatening form of meningitis, and one that can be delivered via nose drops to result in long-lasting protection.

A new study in the journal Science Advances presents the latest research demonstrating the potential effectiveness of an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is one of several in development designed to be administered through a nasal spray.

Moderna has commenced human trials testing an mRNA influenza vaccine targeting four separate viral strains. Building on its successful mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, the company is planning to develop a single vaccine against multiple respiratory viruses.

A new study from Stanford University researchers has found previous recent exposure to common-cold-causing coronaviruses could help explain why some people infected with SARS-CoV-2 only suffer mild symptoms.

Behind Pfizer and Moderna, CureVac’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was long-anticipated, with hundreds of millions of doses already pre-ordered. But its final large trial data has disappointed with only 48 percent efficacy at preventing symptomatic disease.

New research is showing that although some vaccinated people are still contracting COVID-19, they experience milder disease for less time with a low viral load. The study offers some of the first data tracking the severity of “breakthrough infections.”

Japanese researchers have developed a new type of cholera vaccine by genetically modifying rice to carry a non-toxic cholera antigen. The vaccine needs no refrigeration with the rice simply ground into a powder, mixed with water and consumed.