Immunization News and Research

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Global immunization progress threatened by misinformation and funding cuts

Immunization efforts are under growing threat as misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises and funding cuts jeopardize progress and leave millions of children, adolescents and adults at risk, warn WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi during World Immunization Week, 24–30 April.

24 Apr 2025

Measles misinformation is on the rise — and Americans are hearing it, survey finds

While the most serious measles epidemic in a decade has led to the deaths of two children and spread to 27 states with no signs of letting up, beliefs about the safety of the measles vaccine and the threat of the disease are sharply polarized, fed by the anti-vaccine views of the country's seniormost health official.

23 Apr 2025

High-risk adults often do not receive timely flu treatment, study finds

A multi-state study reveals that many high-risk adults diagnosed with influenza (flu) in emergency departments and urgent care centers are not receiving timely antiviral treatment.

22 Apr 2025

Why measles is resurging in vulnerable countries despite global progress

Global measles incidence, mortality, and DALY rates in children under five dropped significantly from 1990 to 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted vaccination efforts, leading to coverage declines and elevated outbreak risks in low-SDI regions.

17 Apr 2025

Why measles is back in the U.S. and what doctors must know now

Measles is making a troubling comeback in the U.S., driven by declining vaccination rates and rising vaccine hesitancy. Pediatric infectious disease experts provide clinical guidance to help healthcare providers recognize, manage, and prevent measles in today’s outbreak-prone environment.

14 Apr 2025

WHO releases first global guidelines to improve meningitis care

The World Health Organization (WHO) has today published its first-ever global guidelines for meningitis diagnosis, treatment and care, aiming to speed up detection, ensure timely treatment, and improve long-term care for those affected.

10 Apr 2025

Study shows wisdom of early US investment in COVID-19 vaccines

Five years ago, volunteers rolled up their sleeves in the first clinical trial of a vaccine against COVID-19, as the new pandemic surged around them. By a year later, 66 million American adults had gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, at no cost to them. Now, a new study shows how wise that national investment in testing, buying and delivering the first vaccines was.

10 Apr 2025

Slashed federal funding cancels vaccine clinics amid measles surge

More than a dozen vaccination clinics were canceled in Pima County, Arizona.

9 Apr 2025

Shingles vaccination associated with reduction in probability of new dementia diagnosis

Vaccination to prevent shingles also reduces the risk of developing dementia in later life, according to a research paper published recently in Nature.

8 Apr 2025

Montana may start collecting immunization data again amid US measles outbreak

When epidemiologist Sophia Newcomer tries to evaluate how well Montana might be able to ward off the measles outbreak spreading across the U.S., she doesn't have much data to work with.

1 Apr 2025

Fusion proteins enable the creation of monoclonal antibodies

The Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 100 monoclonal antibodies to treat a range of diseases. Other antibodies are used by physicians to diagnose conditions or by scientists to advance research projects.

26 Mar 2025

COVID-19 vaccines may cut risk of long COVID

Full COVID-19 vaccination may reduce post-COVID-19 condition risk by 27%, though more research is needed, especially for children and immunocompromised groups.

26 Mar 2025

Report shows alarming measles resurgence in Europe and US

A recent report shows cases of measles across the World Health Organization's European Region, which includes the UK, are the highest they've been for more than 25 years. At the same time, large outbreaks of measles in the US have led to the first measles deaths there since 2015.

26 Mar 2025

Study reveals how B cells safeguard high-affinity antibodies

A vaccine's ability to generate long-lasting, high-affinity antibodies hinges on a delicate balance. Upon exposure to a vaccine or pathogen, B cells scramble to refine their defenses, rapidly mutating in hopes of generating the most effective antibodies.

19 Mar 2025

Groundbreaking vaccine study offers hope for ending meningitis in Africa

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers helped conduct an important new global health study that found a vaccine that protects against five strains of meningitis prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa is safe and effective for use in young children beginning at 9 months of age.

11 Mar 2025

Canary in the coalmine: Study warns 21 million children missed measles shots in 2022

Researchers found that 21 million children missed measles vaccination in 2022, far exceeding those missing other vaccines, and 96% were in low- and middle-income countries. The study urges adding measles vaccination rates to global definitions of under-immunized children to better prevent deadly outbreaks.

10 Mar 2025

How falling measles vaccination rates put millions of children at risk

Two-dose measles vaccination coverage has fallen by 3.7% globally since 2019, leaving most WHO regions off track to meet Immunization Agenda 2030 targets. The study highlights a worrying rise in zero-dose children, especially in Africa, threatening global herd immunity against measles.

10 Mar 2025

MRNA vaccines, once a Trump boast, now face attacks from some in GOP

Researchers racing to develop bird flu vaccines for humans have turned to a cutting-edge technology that enabled the rapid development of lifesaving covid shots.

10 Mar 2025

Study suggests boosting brain's immune cells could improve Alzheimer's treatment

For more than three decades, scientists have been racing to stop Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloid beta plaques - sticky clumps of toxic protein that accumulate in the brain.

6 Mar 2025

WHO Director-General issues revised recommendations on mpox emergency

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), following the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, held on 25 February 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CET, concurs with its advice that the event continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern and, considering the advice of the Committee, he is hereby issuing a revised set of temporary recommendations.

27 Feb 2025