vaccines

Finalisation of pact governing global response to disease outbreaks delayed as talks on how to share benefits stall A key deadline to finalise a global pandemic treaty has been missed by negotiators, prompting warnings that the world remains unprepared for the next major disease outbreak. Countries have been trying to agree how they should share information on pathogens, such as bacteria or virus…

Nature Biomedical Engineering, Published online: 05 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41551-026-01672-0 A transferrin receptor-associating polyplex formed by complexing mRNA with modified polyethylenimine enables monocyte trafficking and lymph node targeting for potent and selective cancer vaccination.

You have identified your candidate protein. Your vaccine antigen binds effectively to the targeted virus. Your new plant-based milk chocolate…

A study explored whether women visualised a vaccine would have an impact on their babies and if that affected their decision to be vaccinated

Fungal vaccine tech could help Africa make affordable HPV vaccines. Wits scientists are advancing the C1 platform, which uses fungi to produce vaccine proteins faster and more cheaply, potentially expanding protection against cervical cancer.

npj Vaccines, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01453-5 Immunogenicity of PCV13 during Hospitalization soon after infection resolution: Vaccis study

npj Vaccines, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01452-6 The first workshop dedicated to Lassa virus–specific correlates of protection (CoP) was held in 2024 and was convened by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Experts from multiple disciplines reviewed existing knowledge and identified gaps in understanding Lassa virus- and vaccine-induced immune res…

Vaccination is widely used to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), necessitating robust approaches for evaluating vaccine potency to ensure a consistent supply of effective and safe vaccines. Traditional (in vivo) potency testing methods rely on live animal models, raising ethical concerns, logistical constraints, procedural variability and significant financial costs. In vitro approaches have t…

VRS now offers validated antiviral and neutralisation assay services for Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV). hMPV is a leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections worldwide, particularly in young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Despite its significant clinical burden, there are currently no approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments. With growing interest in re…

npj Vaccines, Published online: 02 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01477-x Preexisting IgG forms immune complexes and links local thermal reactogenicity with immunogenicity in influenza vaccination

npj Vaccines, Published online: 02 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01456-2 A TRAC-478-adjuvanted recombinant N1 neuraminidase influenza virus vaccine induces balanced and broadly protective immune responses

npj Vaccines, Published online: 02 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01468-y High affinity is insufficient for strong B cell activation by HIV broadly neutralising antibodies

npj Vaccines, Published online: 02 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01473-1 Lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated DNA vaccine prevented lung consolidation following heterologous influenza A virus challenge in pigs

npj Vaccines, Published online: 02 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41541-026-01476-y Superior protection against tuberculosis using heterologous mRNA nanoadjuvant vaccines

Health officials in Trump administration were accused of fueling ‘crisis of public trust’ over autism and vaccines Misinformation from top health officials in the Trump administration has created a “crisis of public trust” – and Congress should conduct oversight hearings and possibly impeach officials such as Robert F Kennedy Jr , the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (H…

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is one of the world's most common viruses, thought to be...

Nature Communications, Published online: 02 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72550-1 Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is often limited by its reliance on specialized photosources, the need for clinic-based treatment, and risks of phototoxicity. Here, the authors report mild-sunlight-activated PDT microneedle patches incorporating polymeric photosensitizers with an intrinsic “on-off” reactive oxygen spe…

Shingles (herpes zoster) causes substantial morbidity, especially among adults over age 50 in the United States. There is a need to better understand the reasons behind low vaccination rates among adults over age 50 given the associated risks for infection and adverse health outcomes that can reduce their quality of life. This qualitative interpretative phenomenological study explored how individ…