Chickenpox News and Research

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CAR T-cell therapy successfully reverses severe rheumatoid arthritis

Immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell therapy are used primarily to treat cancer. In the future, these patient-specific therapies, manufactured from patients' own immune cells, could also help cure autoimmune diseases.

27 Aug 2026

Novel norovirus vaccine approach may be adaptable for other RNA viruses

Every RNA virus — from stomach bugs and influenza to chickenpox and the common cold — has its own story to tell, with a unique combination of symptoms, rates of transmission, duration, and chemical blueprint.

19 Aug 2026

Survey finds widespread uncertainty over pregnancy vaccine recommendations

Most Americans are unaware or unsure of which vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends during pregnancy, according to a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

22 Jul 2026

Bee-derived propolis shows potent antiviral activity against varicella-zoster virus

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a clinically important human neurotropic herpesvirus that causes varicella (chickenpox) as primary infection, typically in children.

5 Jun 2026

New tools for quicker and easier Mpox diagnosis

Following the rise in monkeypox (Mpox) cases, particularly in countries where the disease had not traditionally been observed, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in June 2022 and again in August 2024.

4 May 2026

Children develop stronger immunity after repeated infections in nursery

Young children who attend nursery get sick more often than those who don't, but they will go on to have fewer illnesses during early school years, finds a new review of evidence by a group of parent-scientists involving University College London (UCL) researchers.

18 Mar 2026

Shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of serious cardiac events

People with heart disease who received a shingles vaccine had nearly half the rate of serious cardiac events a year later compared with those who did not get the vaccine, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

17 Mar 2026

Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer’s and dementia risk

A large observational electronic health record study found that older adults receiving the recombinant zoster vaccine showed substantially lower rates of diagnosed dementia compared with matched unvaccinated individuals. The association persisted after multiple sensitivity analyses, although causality remains unproven and longer follow-up is required given the long latency of dementia.

10 Feb 2026

Shingles vaccination is linked to slower biological aging in older adults

This population-based study of U.S. adults aged 70 and older found that shingles vaccination was associated with slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as lower systemic inflammation. No significant associations were observed for neurodegeneration or cardiovascular biomarkers, highlighting domain-specific molecular effects rather than broad clinical changes.

21 Jan 2026

Shingles vaccination may slow biological aging in older adults

Shingles vaccination not only protects against the disease but may also contribute to slower biological aging in older adults, according to a new USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology study.

20 Jan 2026

The CDC just sidelined these childhood vaccines. Here’s what they prevent.

The federal government has drastically scaled back the number of recommended childhood immunizations, sidelining six routine vaccines that have safeguarded millions from serious diseases, long-term disability, and death.

6 Jan 2026

Virus shells use asymmetry to control RNA release and infection

Viruses are typically described as tiny, perfectly geometric shells that pack genetic material with mathematical precision, but new research led by scientists at Penn State reveals a deliberate imbalance in their shape that helps them infect their hosts.

12 Dec 2025

Shingles vaccination is linked to fewer dementia diagnoses and deaths in older adults

A large quasi-experimental study in Wales shows that eligibility for shingles vaccination is linked to fewer new mild cognitive impairment diagnoses and lower dementia-related mortality. Benefits appear strongest in women and are observed at multiple stages of the dementia disease course.

7 Dec 2025

In RFK Jr.’s upside-down world of vaccines, panel votes to end hepatitis B shot at birth

Recent weeks have brought good news about vaccines, with studies indicating that flu vaccination reduces heart disease, shingles vaccines can prevent or slow dementia, and a single human papilloma virus shot protects a girl from cervical cancer for the rest of her life.

5 Dec 2025

Study links common Epstein-Barr virus to autoimmune lupus

One of humanity's most ubiquitous infectious pathogens bears the blame for the chronic autoimmune condition called systemic lupus erythematosus or, colloquially, lupus, Stanford Medicine investigators and their colleagues have found.

12 Nov 2025

Common viruses sharply raise heart attack and stroke risk, major global review shows

In the largest synthesis to date, researchers reviewed 155 studies linking viral infections, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, HIV, hepatitis C, and shingles, to increased risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. The findings highlight viral infection prevention and vaccination as underappreciated strategies for cardiovascular protection.

30 Oct 2025

Doctors muffled as Florida moves to end decades of childhood vaccination mandates

Florida plans to end nearly a half-century of required childhood immunizations against diseases that have killed and maimed millions of children. Many critics of the decision, including doctors, are afraid to speak up against it.

27 Oct 2025

Mercury in your hot dog? Vaccine skeptics face their limits at crucial CDC meeting

Public health officials watched with dread as a panel shaped by the Trump administration took up an agenda to begin dismantling six decades of vaccination development and progress.

19 Sep 2025

$Kennedy’s take on vaccine science fractures cohesive national public health strategies$

Kennedy’s take on vaccine science fractures cohesive national public health strategies

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has had a busy few months. He fired the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, purged the agency's vaccine advisory committee, and included among the group's new members appointees who espouse anti-vaccine views.