Archive for vaccines
The new COVID-19 vaccines: Will they be safe?
Just within the past week, pharmaceutical companies have announced encouraging news about two COVID-19 vaccines in the final development phase. As more vaccine developers announce similar reports in the coming weeks and months, it’s key to remember that vaccine safety is as important as effectiveness against the virus. Fortunately, scientists have learned lessons from the ... Read More about The new COVID-19 vaccines: Will they be safe?
Testing the COVID-19 vaccines in kids: Is it safe?
The drug company Pfizer recently announced they had opened their clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine to teens as young as 16. And as vaccine trials move into phase 3 testing, it’s likely that other drug companies will follow suit. This news may leave parents wondering about the safety of vaccine trials on teens and ... Read More about Testing the COVID-19 vaccines in kids: Is it safe?
As COVID-19 fuels opioid deaths, researchers look to create an anti-opioid vaccine
A project that began one year ago at Boston Children’s Hospital to develop an anti-opioid vaccine is starting to bear its first fruits. A team of addiction experts and vaccine developers across the Boston Children’s research community were recently awarded a $25 million research contract from the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH ... Read More about As COVID-19 fuels opioid deaths, researchers look to create an anti-opioid vaccine
Does your child need a flu shot? Yes, especially this year.
Have you and your children received your flu shots yet? If not, it’s important to get them as soon as possible. Every year, flu shots save lives by preventing influenza (another name for the flu), or reducing complications if people do get sick. In fact, the flu vaccine is mandatory this year in Massachusetts for ... Read More about Does your child need a flu shot? Yes, especially this year.
Getting to a COVID-19 vaccine as fast and as safely as possible
The novel coronavirus is not expected to disappear anytime soon. With physical distancing, virus testing, contact tracing, and potentially new therapeutics, we may be able to keep it partially at bay. But many eyes are looking toward a COVID-19 vaccine, and scientists are feeling the urgency. Key takeaways. Work is moving quickly, but to show ... Read More about Getting to a COVID-19 vaccine as fast and as safely as possible
Keeping up with childhood vaccines and screenings during the COVID-19 outbreak
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, many parents have been understandably hesitant to take their kids to their health care provider for routine health care, such as vaccines and health screenings. But pediatricians worry that this trend could open the door to outbreaks of other types of childhood illnesses, such as measles and whooping cough. We recently ... Read More about Keeping up with childhood vaccines and screenings during the COVID-19 outbreak
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
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
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