Archive for vaccines
Designing a coronavirus vaccine for next year – and the years beyond
As the number of coronavirus infections swell daily across the globe, strategies for developing a safe and effective vaccine are rapidly moving forward. In response to this public health crisis, the Precision Vaccines Program (PVP) at Boston Children’s Hospital is on the front lines of developing a coronavirus vaccine targeted especially toward older populations, those ... Read More about Designing a coronavirus vaccine for next year – and the years beyond
Tagged: coronavirus, vaccines
100 years after the advent of TB vaccines, formulations vary widely
Each year, more than 100 million newborns around the world receive vaccinations against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or TB, which infects about one-quarter of the world’s population. Facilities across the world produce several different formulations of these vaccines, known as Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines. These are given interchangeably, yet new research from the Precision Vaccines Program at ... Read More about 100 years after the advent of TB vaccines, formulations vary widely
Tagged: global health, public health, tuberculosis, vaccines
Protecting against HIV by tricking the immune system
In making an HIV vaccine, a major goal is to stimulate production of broadly neutralizing antibodies that can fight multiple strains of the frequently changing virus. To date, experimental HIV vaccines haven’t been able to induce these kinds of antibodies. In fact, the immune system actively stops their production, seeing them as a threat. Another ... Read More about Protecting against HIV by tricking the immune system
Five things to know about the flu
It’s flu season again. In fact, about half of every year, from September to March, is “flu season.” Despite the fact that we spend half of our lives in flu season, there are lots of misconceptions about this common and sometimes deadly virus. Here are five important facts about the flu that not everyone knows: 1. You ... Read More about Five things to know about the flu
A vaccine to prevent opioid overdose?
Sharon Levy, MD, MPH, who directs the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program (ASAP) at Boston Children’s Hospital, was getting her youngest son ready for school, when her husband Ofer, an infectious disease physician at the same hospital, came to her with an offer. The NIH was soliciting proposals to develop an opioid vaccine. Would ... Read More about A vaccine to prevent opioid overdose?
Tagged: adolescent medicine, opioids, substance abuse, vaccines
Sticking it to needle pain
Ask any kid what they dread most about a visit to the doctor and you’ll likely hear the same answer: “Needles!” Whether in the form of vaccinations or blood draws, the pain associated with needlesticks isn’t “just a small poke” to many children. It’s a major source of fear and distress — and not just ... Read More about Sticking it to needle pain
Hidden part of flu virus yields hope for better vaccines
The annual effort to create a flu vaccine is like a high-stakes game of Whack-a-mole. Even if public health officials develop a vaccine that offers wide protection, the ever-changing influenza virus pops up again the next year in a new guise, often different enough to thwart the body’s defenses. And while most people recover, influenza ... Read More about Hidden part of flu virus yields hope for better vaccines
Tagged: immunology, infectious diseases, microbes, vaccines
Small samples, big data: A systems-biology look at a newborn’s first week of life
The first week of a baby’s life is a time of rapid biological change. The newborn must adapt to living outside the womb, suddenly exposed to new bacteria and viruses. Yet scientists know surprisingly little about these early changes. Reporting in Nature Communications, an international research team provides the most detailed accounting to date of the ... Read More about Small samples, big data: A systems-biology look at a newborn’s first week of life
Tagged: big data, metabolism, newborn medicine, precision medicine, proteomics, vaccines
Culture shock: Why poliovirus had to live before it could die
Today, stories of polio may seem like echoes from far-away history to those born after 1979, the year that polio was eradicated in the U.S. Since then, it has been customary for children to receive four doses of the polio vaccine to protect them from ever contracting the terrifying disease also known as “infantile paralysis.” Polio, however, still afflicts people in ... Read More about Culture shock: Why poliovirus had to live before it could die
Tagged: history, infectious diseases, vaccines
Effective vaccination of newborns: Getting closer to the dream
In many parts of the world, babies have just one chance to be vaccinated: when they’re born. Unfortunately, newborns’ young immune systems don’t respond well to most vaccines. That’s why, in the U.S., most immunizations start at two months of age. Currently, only BCG, polio vaccine and hepatitis B vaccines work in newborns, and the ... Read More about Effective vaccination of newborns: Getting closer to the dream
Tagged: global health, immunology, vaccines