New formulation helps RNA vaccines withstand high temperatures like room temperature for up to a year

Good news!

"RNA vaccines, which have been proven effective against Covid-19, are now being developed for many other diseases, including cancer. One of the drawbacks to these vaccines is that they require ultracold storage, but researchers from MIT have found a promising way to overcome that limitation.

With help from an AI algorithm, the researchers tweaked the formulation surrounding the lipid nanoparticles that are typically used to deliver mRNA vaccines, making the vaccines more heat-resistant. Using this approach, they formulated vaccines that could remain stable even when stored at room temperature for up to a year, or at nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit for two months. ..."

From the abstract:

"The instability of mRNA−lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) necessitates ultra-cold storage, limiting global distribution and their broader application in advanced delivery systems.

Solid-state, water-free formulations enhance thermostability and enable integration into emerging delivery modalities such as microneedle patches.

Previous efforts to stabilize mRNA−LNPs have been constrained by narrow formulation scope and low-throughput screening methods.

Here we introduce Algorithm-Guided Experimental design for lipid Nanoparticle Thermostabilization (AGENT), an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven framework that couples high-throughput experimentation with Bayesian optimization to identify thermostable mRNA−LNP formulations.

AGENT extracts maximal information from sparse experimental datasets, enabling efficient formulation optimization in six iterations completed within 1 month.

We stabilized mRNA vaccines with two clinically relevant LNPs representative of the Moderna (SM-102-based) and Pfizer-BioNTech (ALC-0315-based) compositions into solid-state formulations that retained 100% bioactivity after storage at 37 °C for more than 2 months.

In rodents and non-human primates, thermostable, solid-state vaccine formulations induced antigen-specific immune responses non-inferior to those elicited by intramuscular delivery of freshly prepared soluble vaccines."

New formulation helps RNA vaccines withstand high temperatures | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology "MIT engineers have found a way to stabilize the lipid nanoparticles used to deliver RNA vaccines, which could allow the vaccines to be more widely distributed."

Accelerated discovery of thermostable mRNA–lipid nanoparticle vaccines using data-efficient AI (no public access)

Accelerated discovery of thermostable vaccines using data-efficient AI (preprint, open access)

Fig. 1 Exploration of the design space for solid-state mRNA-LNPs formulated via vacuum drying.

When individual privacy protection collides with the public's interest to know (about e.g. infectious diseases)

Were these two individuals e.g. illegal immigrants or e.g. from the Amish community? If from the Amish community, how did these two individuals get infected with measles?

Currently, public debates about the pros and cons of vaccination have become more common since the beginning of the second term of President Trump.

"... marking the first U.S. measles deaths in 2026 ..."

"... Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness. We want to ensure every Pennsylvanian has the information they need to protect themselves [???], their loved ones and their communities. As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”

DOH confirmed both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County. To protect the privacy of the individuals and their families,"

Pennsylvania Department of Health Confirms Two Measles-Associated Deaths | Department of Health | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania "The deaths mark the first losses related to the highly contagious virus in Pennsylvania in 35 years."

Credits: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Global Health NOW

Why immune responses to vaccines vary from person to person and how to predict a vaccine response before vaccination

Good news! A still open question how much of the humoral immune response is inherited and how much is due to lifetime training of the immune system of an individual.

"... In blood samples from more than 4,000 people, ASU researchers and their colleagues measured antibodies against 185 antigens—targets recognized by the immune system, including those from common viruses and bacteria as well as targets associated with autoimmune diseases.

They then used artificial intelligence to analyze patterns in samples collected before and after COVID-19 vaccination, identifying antibody signatures that helped distinguish strong vaccine responders from weak ones.

The research opens a possible path toward more personalized vaccination strategies.

"What our study found is that certain biomarkers, when analyzed with AI, can predict who is likely to respond well to a vaccine, even before they receive it. This suggests that some people may be more immune-ready than others," ..."

From the highlights and abstract:

"Highlights

• Pre-existing antibodies to common microbes predict new vaccine response robustness

• These sentinel antibodies are stable markers of humoral immune readiness

• AI models use global antibody profiles to stratify high and low vaccine responders

• Blunted vaccine responses occur in both immunosuppressed and healthy individuals

Summary

Predicting which individuals will mount poor antibody responses before vaccination could improve personalized vaccination strategies.

Here, we conducted a national longitudinal study of humoral immune responses to 185 antigens, including SARS-CoV-2 (n = 3), common microbial pathogens (n = 157), and autoantigens (n = 25), in 1,644 immunosuppressed patients and 2,445 healthy individuals before and after COVID-19 vaccination.

Although blunted COVID-19 vaccine responses were more frequent in solid organ transplant recipients and individuals with multiple myeloma, autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and human immunodeficiency virus, responses were highly heterogeneous within every cohort, and approximately 5%–6% of healthy individuals also mounted weak responses.

Pre-existing antibodies to common microbes, including Staphylococcus aureus, respiratory syncytial virus, and human respirovirus 3, consistently predicted post-vaccination antibody responses in both healthy and immunosuppressed populations.

These broadly prevalent antimicrobial antibodies represent sentinel antibodies that may serve as biomarkers of system-level humoral immune competence.

Using global antimicrobial antibody profiles, we developed a deep-learning predictive model that stratified individuals according to their likelihood of mounting blunted vaccine responses.

Together, these findings identify pre-existing antimicrobial antibody profiles as scalable biomarkers of humoral immune responsiveness and provide a framework for predicting vaccine responses before immunization."

Why immune responses to vaccines vary from person to person

Why immune responses to vaccines vary from person to person (original news release) "Study finds past immune encounters may predict future vaccine response"

Pre-vaccine sentinel antibodies predict blunted vaccine responses (open access)

Graphical abstract

Figure 2 The multiplexed humoral immune profiling of 8,687 individual samples among seven cohorts

Figure 7 Pre-existing antimicrobial antibody profiles predict healthy individuals with low vaccine response to COVID-19 booster

Individualized mRNA vaccine combination treatment Triumphs Over Melanoma

Good news! Cancer is history (soon)!

"An mRNA vaccine to treat the deadliest form of skin cancer has met a major milestone on the path to a new treatment, according to clinical trial results released today by Merck and Moderna.

If approved by the FDA, it would become the first ever mRNA-based cancer treatment and pave the way for similar treatments for other cancers—representing “the next frontier of cancer immunotherapy,” ...

Phase 3 clinical trial results showed that the experimental drug—intismeran autogene—prevented recurrence and metastasis of removed melanoma tumors when combined with the immunotherapy Keytruda. The companies have not released the full phase 3 results, but earlier phase 2 trials reported that risk of recurrence or death was reduced by nearly half after five years. ..."

"First and only combination regimen to demonstrate statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in RFS and DMFS compared to KEYTRUDA alone for these patients in the adjuvant melanoma setting

The Companies plan to present data at an upcoming international medical meeting and will engage with regulators on filing submissions for intismeran autogene in combination with KEYTRUDA

Intismeran autogene is an mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy (INT) designed specifically for each patient based on the unique set of mutations within their tumor to train and activate the immune system to recognize and fight cancer

...

The trial met its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and a key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). This represents the first positive Phase 3 readout for an individualized neoantigen therapy (INT) and for an mRNA-based cancer therapy, as well as the first Phase 3 study to demonstrate a clinically meaningful improvement over KEYTRUDA alone, a standard-of-care immunotherapy, in the adjuvant setting for patients with resected melanoma. ..."

Global Health NOW: In the ‘Next Frontier’ in Cancer Treatment, mRNA Triumphs Over Melanoma’; and All Eyes on Australia as Social Media Ban Plays Out

Merck and Moderna Announce Phase 3 INTerpath-001 Trial of Intismeran Autogene Plus KEYTRUDA® Met Endpoints of Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS) and Distant Metastasis-Free Survival (DMFS) in Patients With Completely Resected Stage IIB-IV Melanoma (original news release)

Tuberculosis Vaccine (BCG) Reprograms Brain Immunity in Small Trial

Amazing stuff! Good news, but older news!

"... Since then, with billions of doses given, the shot has surprised scientists with its capabilities beyond preventing tuberculosis. Researchers have found that BCG also helps prevent type 1 diabetes, reduce multiple sclerosis relapse, and treat bladder cancer. Scientists have uncovered how BCG programs the peripheral immune system to induce these effects.

However, the vaccine’s impact on the central nervous system (CNS) and immune cells within it remains poorly understood, despite retrospective studies revealing a link between the vaccine and the brain: People who received BCG for bladder cancer also showed reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Now, in a small clinical trial, researchers found that BCG triggered immune remodeling in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of older adults and reduced AD-related biomarkers. The findings, published in Communications Medicine, suggest that vaccine-induced immune reprogramming could be used as a strategy to target early neurodegeneration. ..."

From the abstract:

"Background

Immune aging may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), a vaccine known to induce trained immunity, has been linked to reduced Alzheimer’s risk in prior studies. However, whether trained immunity can be observed in the human central nervous system remains unclear. We assessed whether BCG induces trained immunity–like responses in adults with and without Alzheimer’s-related changes.

Methods

We conducted two related one-year, open-label clinical trials in adults aged 55 years or older (n = 12 without Alzheimer’s-related pathology; n = 11 with Alzheimer’s-related pathology) recruited at a single center.

Participants received two intradermal BCG vaccinations one month apart. Protocol-defined objectives included safety, neurocognitive outcomes, and longitudinal immune and Alzheimer’s biomarker changes in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Immune responses were assessed using cytokine assays and single-cell profiling. All enrolled participants were included where data were available; longitudinal changes were analyzed using mixed-effects models.

Results

Here we show that BCG induces persistent, trained immunity–like changes in immune cells in cerebrospinal fluid, including enhanced innate responsiveness and associated transcriptional programs.

These responses differ from blood, suggesting compartment-specific immune imprinting.

In participants without Alzheimer’s-related changes, these immune shifts are accompanied by decreased amyloid-β levels in cerebrospinal fluid and increased levels in blood. BCG was well tolerated, with no unexpected safety signals observed.

Conclusions

These findings suggest trained immunity–like responses in the central nervous system that may influence Alzheimer’s-relevant pathways.

This approach may represent an early neurodegenerative intervention strategy, although larger controlled studies are needed to confirm these observations."

BCG Vaccine Reprograms Brain Immunity in Small Trial | The Scientist "The BCG vaccine altered Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and brain immune cells in older adults, hinting at its potential to target neurodegeneration."

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy reprograms CNS immunity and alters Alzheimer’s biomarkers: results from two open-label clinical trials (open access)

Fig. 1: Study design and trained immunity-associated cytokine responses in PBMCs. [Peripheral blood mononuclear cells]

Fig. 2: BCG induces compartment-specific transcriptional training in human monocytes.

Nearly 94 million of the estimated 154 million lives saved since 1974 resulted from measles vaccine protection. Really!

Sorry, but this seems not not very impressive given that between 6.5 and 7 billion babies were born since 1974 (according to Google Search).

How many children suffered from or were killed by measle vaccinations during the same time period? I had a multi prompt dialog with Google AI about this question. It appears there are no reliable statistical data available at least not on a global scale or such data is simply not collected. However, Google AI points out there are severe allergic reactions associated with measle vaccination and that improper handling of the vaccination can cause serious complications etc. We are to believe that measles vaccinations are safe anywhere in the world. 

Global Health NOW: Afghanistan, Five Years On; and An Overdose Prevention Tool Taken Off the Table

From 18 to 11: President Trump slashes childhood vaccine recommendations

Good news! Bravo President Trump! 

Probably, the number of childhood vaccinations went too far beyond what is necessary and defensible! Business was too good for pharma and doctors!

Time to step back, review and reevaluate the vaccination protocol/program for children!

"President Trump signed an executive order Monday scaling back the federal government’s childhood vaccine recommendations, giving parents greater control over which immunizations their children receive and directing health agencies to adopt what the White House calls the “Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations.”

The new framework reduces the number of diseases covered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s routine childhood recommendations from 18 in 2024 to 11. ..."

MxM News: 18 to 11: Trump slashes childhood vaccine recommendations

The number of unvaccinated children worldwide declines further

Good news! The comprehensive vaccination of children is a huge humanitarian success story!

Given "There are approximately 2.4 billion children (people under the age of 18) worldwide" (Google search) this is a great success!

"... Key takeaways: ~13.5 million children remained “zero-dose” in 2025, meaning they missed all routine vaccinations. That number is down ~750,000 from the previous year, but still well above pre-pandemic levels. ..."

"...  In 2025, 90 per cent of infants globally – or nearly 116 million – received at least one dose of a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, and 85 per cent – or 110 million – completed the full three-dose series ..."

Global Health NOW: Gradual, Vulnerable Vaccine Gains; and New Alzheimer’s Insights

Global childhood immunization coverage inches forward despite conflict and hesitancy – UNICEF, WHO "Zero-dose children fell by nearly 750,000 in the past year, but drop-out numbers high and stagnant, increasing risk of disease outbreaks"

Mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) to prevent norovirus infection in mice

Good news!

"... The findings ... upend traditional vaccine development efforts which to date have focused on creating norovirus-fighting antibodies that circulate in the blood rather than taking up residence in the gut.

According to findings, mucosal IgA (Immunoglobulin A) antibodies — which are found primarily in the body’s mucosal surfaces, including the lungs, airway, the intestines, and gut — provide key immune defense against norovirus. ...

“By using mouse models, we discovered that IgA was both necessary and sufficient for protection against norovirus.” ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Although most individuals recover from norovirus infection after an unpleasant few days, some individuals, such as infants, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals, are at risk of developing severe gastroenteritis. As such, vaccines to combat this infection are urgently needed. Here, Ökten et al. investigated which components of the immune system are required to effectively clear norovirus in a murine model. The authors found that intestinal IgA in particular was both necessary and sufficient for clearance of norovirus in mice.

To highlight the translational potential of these findings, the authors showed that delivery of an mRNA encoding an anti-norovirus dimeric IgA was able to protect mice.

Together, these results highlight the requirement for a successful norovirus vaccine to specifically elicit mucosal IgA and suggest that anti-norovirus IgA antibodies may offer a prophylactic or therapeutic option for at-risk populations. ...

Abstract

Human norovirus is the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis, yet effective vaccines and therapeutics remain elusive. Using murine norovirus as a model, we found that mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) is both necessary and sufficient for protection against infection, whereas CD8+ T cells are dispensable.

Robust intestinal IgA production requires at least 4 weeks of enteric infection, consistent with kinetics of human norovirus RNA clearance.

Systemic vaccination elicits high titers of neutralizing serum IgG but fails to prevent enteric norovirus infection, phenocopying a recent human norovirus vaccine failure.

In contrast, prophylactic delivery of dimeric anti-norovirus IgA via mRNA lipid nanoparticles confers sterilizing immunity.

Together, these findings define a critical role for mucosal IgA in norovirus protection and identify IgA-based treatments as a therapeutic approach for human norovirus."

Gut punch: New study knocks out norovirus where it strikes | Yale News "Gut-homing antibodies provide powerful protection against norovirus, a new Yale study finds, revealing a potential new path for developing vaccines and therapies."

IgA is necessary and sufficient to prevent norovirus infection in mice (no public access)

China’s first AI-powered cancer vaccine production line set to launch in Beijing

Another example how fast China is moving on and driving machine learning and AI! Plus all the excellent research in ML & AI that is done by Chinese researchers and so on!

Will China achieve "Cancer is history/Making cancer history" (before the MD Anderson Cancer Center)? Let's hope China will push forward to make it happen as fast as possible!

"China has broken ground on what developers say is the country’s first production line for AI-assisted personalised tumour vaccines, raising hopes for millions of new cancer patients every year – a disease that ranks as the nation’s second-leading cause of death.

By October, Beijing-based Likang Life Sciences is expected to complete a new drug research and manufacturing centre in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, with a total investment of about 110 million yuan (US$16.1 million), according to the district government. ..."

China’s first AI-powered cancer vaccine production line set to launch in Beijing | South China Morning Post "Likang Life Sciences says it has developed a personalised vaccine using advanced tech to identify tumour-specific mutations"

'World-first' vaccine designed by artificial intelligence to provide broad protection from thousands of variants of viruses

Amazing stuff!

"Artificial intelligence has been used to develop a "fundamentally new" type of vaccine that could protect against large swathes of viruses and prevent pandemics, say researchers.

The team at the University of Cambridge say it is the first time a vaccine's key component has been designed entirely by AI and then trialled in people.

The vaccine was engineered to work on all coronaviruses which would include all Covid variants and viruses that infect animals, but could start the next pandemic. ..."

"The first human clinical trial of a universal Sarbeco coronavirus vaccine, developed by the University of Cambridge and spin-out DIOSynVax (DVX) Ltd, has shown that the vaccine is safe and has no significant side-effects. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:

"Highlights

• pEVAC-PS is a novel, needle-free DNA vaccine targeting all sarbecoviruses

• pEVAC-PS was safe and well tolerated in this phase I study

• Followup Phase 2 to provide data on the breadth and durability of immunogenicity to pEVAC-PS

Summary

Background

Coronaviruses such as SARS, SARS-CoV-2 and related Sarbeco-Coronaviruses continue to pose global health threats, underscoring the need for vaccines capable of inducing broad cross-sarbecovirus protection.

The pEVAC-PS vaccine was developed using Digitally Immune Optimised Synthetic Vaccine (DIOSynVax) technology and pre-clinically selected for the ability to induce broadly protective immune responses across the Sarbecoviruses including SARS, SARS-CoV-2, and related viruses representing potential zoonotic spillovers. For this first-in-human study, the antigen was delivered as a DNA vaccine to enable thermostability and needle-free intradermal administration to support future deployment in resource-limited settings.

Methods

This open label phase I dose escalation study investigated the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the pEVAC-PS vaccine candidate against SARS, SARS-CoV-2 and related Sarbeco Coronaviruses via needle-free intra-dermal delivery using the PharmaJet Tropis Device. ...

Findings

Between December 2021 and September 2023, a total of 39 volunteers were vaccinated. The vaccine was well tolerated at all four doses with no significant safety concerns elicited. Interpretation of immunogenicity outcomes was influenced by high baseline antibody levels and heterogeneous exposure histories due to ongoing waves of Omicron variant infections during recruitment, which differed across dose-escalation cohorts and introduced unavoidable immune bias.

Interpretation

Needle-free intradermal delivery of this novel computationally designed PanSarbeco vaccine was safe and well tolerated. Although immunogenicity was modest in the context of substantial pre-existing immunity, participants developed measurable responses to conserved, vaccine-encoded sarbecovirus epitopes, supporting the feasibility of this antigen design strategy."

'World-first' vaccine designed by artificial intelligence

New ‘universal vaccine’ technology could protect us from future virus outbreaks (original news release) "A Cambridge-led team has developed a way to engineer better vaccines that could provide broad protection from thousands of variants of viruses - such as coronaviruses or Ebola - in a single vaccine. This represents a fundamental new vaccine technology that could prevent future pandemics before they begin."

A phase I, needle free, dose escalation clinical trial of pEVAC-PS, a candidate pan-Sarbecovirus Vaccine (open access)

Fig. 2 Vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 variant timeline. The timeline plot shows the vaccinations periods for each group in relation to the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in the UK at the time.

U.S. President Trump endorsed the CDC’s reduced schedule of recommended childhood vaccinations

Good news! Bravo President Trump! 17 vaccinations for a child translates into how many vaccinations per year?

How much is too much! When does childhood vaccination become an obsession?

"U.S. President Trump endorsed the CDC’s reduced schedule of recommended childhood vaccinations in an executive order signed Friday, citing a commitment to “protecting religious liberty and parental authority”; the CDC announced the reduction from 17 to 11 recommended vaccines in January. ..."

"... The assessment reviewed 20 peer, developed nations and found that the U.S. is a global outlier among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine childhood vaccination schedule and the total number of recommended doses but does not have higher vaccination rates than such countries. In fact, many peer nations that recommend fewer routine vaccines achieve strong child health outcomes and maintain high vaccination rates through public trust and education rather than mandates.

For example, in 2024, the U.S. recommended more childhood vaccines than any peer nation, and more than twice as many doses as some European nations. At the lower end is Denmark, which immunizes children against 10 diseases compared to a total number of 18 diseases for which protection was provided in 2024 in the U.S. ..."

Global Health NOW: Ebola Latest: A Kenyan Quarantine Facility for Americans?; and A Military Legacy of PFAS

CDC Acts on Presidential Memorandum to Update Childhood Immunization Schedule

The current state of cancer vaccination with over 500 cancer vaccines are in development

Good news! Cancer is history (soon)!

"The progress of cancer vaccines has been limited by immune tolerance, variability in how well antibodies can attach to targets and modest clinical efficacy.

But recent advances in mRNA vaccines, better ability to predict cancer-specific targets and combination with immunotherapies are helping to make vaccines more precise and effective.

As of May 2025, there are 513 cancer vaccines in development, with most (47%) in early-stage development. Continued advancement will require more accurate ways to predict new proteins on cancer cells that can be targeted by antibodies, improved delivery systems and integration with other forms of therapy, suggest a group of health and drug researchers."

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

The landscape for therapeutic cancer vaccines (no public access)

a) All 513 vaccines were classified based on their mechanism, with most being peptide or dendritic cell vaccines. b) The graph shows the trial-stage breakdown of each vaccine type. c) Distribution of products by antigen type, including tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) and tumour-specific antigens (TSAs).

In Africa 500 million+ children have accessed routine vaccination since 2000, preventing 4 million+ deaths each year

 Good news!

"Africa’s Monumental Vaccination Gains 

The first-ever comprehensive analysis of immunization in Africa has found that 500 million+ children have accessed routine vaccination since 2000, preventing 4 million+ deaths each year, reports the AP. 

Key breakthroughs detailed in the analysis, which was published by the WHO and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance:  

Measles vaccinations halved deaths from the virus, saving ~20 million lives since 2000, per UN News. 

The eradication of wild poliovirus in 2020 was a “historic milestone.” 

Meningitis deaths have fallen by nearly 40%. 

Maternal and neonatal tetanus have been eliminated in most countries.  

In 2024 alone, vaccines saved ~2 million lives. ...

10 countries account for 80% of children who haven’t received any vaccine in the region  ...

Meanwhile, health systems face growing vulnerability amid drastic funding cuts, particularly from the U.S; and global conflicts including the Iran war are disrupting critical supply chains." (Source)

Unorthodox ‘universal vaccine’ offers broad protection in mice

Good news!

"... scientists report that by dosing mice with a mix of immune-provoking molecules, they re-created this effect and protected the animals for several months against a variety of respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. The researchers now hope to test a version of their “universal vaccine” in people. ..."

From the abstract:

"Traditional vaccines target specific pathogens, limiting their scope against diverse respiratory threats. We describe an intranasal liposomal formulation combining toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and 7/8 ligands with a model antigen, ovalbumin, that provided broad, durable protection in mice for at least 3 months against infection with SARS-CoV-2 and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the vaccine protected mice from other viruses (SARS-CoV-2, SARS, SCH014 coronavirus), bacteria (Acinetobacter baumannii), and allergens.

Protection was mediated by persistent ovalbumin-specific CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells that imprinted alveolar macrophages (AMs), enhancing antigen presentation and antiviral immunity.

Following infection, vaccinated mice mounted rapid pathogen-specific T cell and antibody responses and formed ectopic lymphoid structures in the lung. These results reveal a class of “universal vaccines” against diverse respiratory threats."

Unorthodox ‘universal vaccine’ offers broad protection in mice | Science | AAAS

Mucosal vaccination in mice provides protection from diverse respiratory threats (no public access)

The U.S. is dropping universal recommendations for certain childhood vaccines including Covid-19 and flu shots, new childhood immunization schedule to recommend 10, rather than 17, shots for children.

Good news! Bravo! Are all these childhood vaccinations really necessary for all children?

Which kids really need Covid-19 and flu shots? Both are fairly harmless to most children. For a kid to be infected with a cold or a flu is perhaps an important training for the developing immune system.

It appears the medical-pharmaceutical industry complex in the US managed to increase/inflate the number recommended childhood vaccinations dramatically over the decades. Good business!

To recommend 17 vaccinations for all children seems to be insane! That is on average one vaccination per child per year.

If it is true that even multiple vaccinations were applied simultaneously at an very early age of a child, then this seems almost reckless. What do we know how harmless this combination is?

According to Google search on recommended childhood vaccinations before 1980 (less than 10 vaccines): "Key Vaccines Recommended Before 1980:

Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTP): A combination vaccine for these three serious bacterial diseases, given in a single shot.

Polio (IPV/OPV): Both the injected (IPV) and oral (OPV) forms were used to prevent paralysis from the poliovirus.

Measles (MMR): The measles vaccine became available in 1963, followed by mumps (1967) and rubella (1969) vaccines, which were combined into the MMR vaccine by 1971.

Smallpox: Routinely given in the early 1960s, but its use was discontinued in the U.S. by 1972 as the disease neared global eradication."

During my childhood in the Federal Republic Germany in the 1960s/1970s I estimate I was not vaccinated with more than half a dozen different vaccines. According to a Google search for recommended childhood vaccination in West Germany before 1990 (less than 10 vaccines): "West Germany (FRG):

BCG: Recommended but voluntary; uptake was very low and almost ceased between 1975-1977.

Measles: Recommended generally, with the MMR vaccine approved in 1980, but remained generally recommended, not mandatory.

DTP/Polio: Recommended vaccines, with schedules for these diseases established." 

"The CDC now recommends kids be vaccinated against 11 diseases, down from 17. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the policy shift strengthens “transparency and informed consent.” The new guidelines, set to take effect immediately, are designed to align the U.S. schedule more closely with Denmark’s. Public-health experts criticized the move for circumventing the government’s usual vaccine recommendation procedures and pushed back, citing differences between the U.S. and Denmark in population size, healthcare systems and disease strains."

"... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has updated the childhood immunization schedule to recommend 10, rather than 17, shots for children.

Trump signed a directive on Dec. 5 ordering the agency to examine best practices from “peer, developed nations” on their childhood vaccination schedules. Following the review, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill signed a memorandum updating the U.S. schedule on Monday. ...

“No vaccine is being banned or removed,” the official said. “Every vaccine currently recommended by the CDC remains available, fully covered by insurance, without cost sharing. No family will lose access to vaccines.” ...

The new order groups vaccines in the children’s immunization schedule into three categories: immunizations recommended for all children, immunizations recommended for certain high-risk groups or populations, and immunizations based on shared clinical decision making for all children. ..."

"... Vaccines cut from the schedule include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, rotavirus, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, ... These vaccines will be recommended only for high-risk groups or after consultation with a health care provider. ..."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

HHS Announces Monumental Changes to Childhood Immunization Schedule

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Global Health NOW

Brewing beer that’s also a vaccine. Now controversy is brewing over edible vaccines

Amazing stuff! Let me toast to that!

If I claim before my next vaccination, I am allergic to syringes can I get a beer instead? Just kidding!

"... [Researcher]’s body made antibodies against several types of the virus after drinking the beer and he suffered no ill effects, he and his brother Andrew Buck reported December 17 at the data sharing platform Zenodo.org, along with colleagues from NIH and Vilnius University in Lithuania. Andrew and other family members have also consumed the beer with no ill effects, he says. The Buck brothers posted a method for making vaccine beer December 17 at Zenodo.org. Chris Buck announced both publications in his blog Viruses Must Die on the online publishing platform Substack, but neither has been peer-reviewed by other scientists. ..."

From the abstract:

"In this study, we investigate the hypothesis that food-grade vaccine antigens might be immunogenic when delivered via non-injection routes.

Brewer’s yeast were engineered to express the VP1 major capsid protein of BK polyomavirus (BKV), as a model vaccine antigen. In support of conventional wisdom, purified VP1 or crude lysates of VP1-expressing yeast were not immunogenic when delivered to mice orally.

Surprisingly, simply feeding mice live VP1-expressing yeast mixed with mouse chow induced robust antibody responses.

In contrast to oral delivery, mice administered yeast lysates intranasally or intradermally mounted strong antibody responses to purified VP1. The neutralizing antibody titers of an author who home-brewed and drank live BKV VLP yeast increased from undetectable to moderate. The implications of these findings are revolutionary.

Food-based vaccines are dramatically faster, easier, and cheaper to produce and are less painful than traditional injection vaccines. For some populations, edible vaccines may also be more acceptable and accessible than existing pharmaceutical products."

Global Health NOW: The Struggle to Stop Maternal Bleeding; and New Year’s Resolutions from the ‘Mother of Injury Prevention’

He made beer that’s also a vaccine. Now controversy is brewing "A scientist’s unconventional project illustrates many challenges in developing new vaccines"

An Edible Polyomavirus Vaccine (open access)

Study explains myocarditis link with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has become the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services there have been many debates about the pros and cons of vaccination! There is often an almost religious fervor involved in these debates. However, questioning vaccines or vaccinations is healthy!

Fact is vaccines and vaccinations are not per se harmless irrespective of the great benefits from vaccinations! It depends on the circumstances, risk factors, the individual etc. I just blogged e.g. here about Hepatitis B vaccinations for babies.

Let's not forget vaccines are big business! Some of the proponents of vaccines/vaccinations may have vested interests or ulterior motives!

"In brief

• Stanford researchers identified CXCL10 and IFN-gamma as immune proteins linked to myocarditis caused by mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
• Myocarditis risk from COVID-19 infection is significantly higher than from mRNA vaccines, highlighting the vaccines' overall benefits.
• The dietary supplement genistein may help mitigate vaccine-induced heart inflammation, warranting further research into its protective potential.

..."

Study explains myocarditis link with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines | Stanford Report "New research identifies two substances secreted by immune cells as contributors to myocarditis among mRNA COVID-19 vaccine recipients – and suggests a strategy for mitigating this effect."

CDC panel recommends delaying birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine

I tend to say good news! Possibly, this hepatitis B vaccination of babies is not critical.

Fact is that vaccination of babies is riskier than probably at any later age!

Apparently, babies contract hepatitis B mostly from their infected mothers and not otherwise! So if the mother is negative, why vaccinate the baby?

According to Google: "While the goal is universal vaccination, Hepatitis B birth dose coverage in the U.S. has hovered around 75-80%, meaning up to 25% of newborns miss this crucial first shot, often due to parental refusal or provider issues, despite recommendations for a full series in infancy. Meaning over 3.5 million infants each year get vaccinated"

"A panel that advises on U.S. vaccine policy voted on Friday to recommend a delay in when most babies begin to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, overturning a 30-year-old policy that has contributed to a massive decline in cases of the virus.

The vote, which followed a day of contentious discussion, was 8-3. Specifically, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that parents discuss with their doctors whether to give the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, or at all, and that those who choose to do so wait to begin the vaccine series until their baby is at least 2 months old. That recommendation applies to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B during their pregnancy. ..."

RFK Jr.'s ACIP panel recommends delay in newborn hepatitis B vaccination | STAT "The change is likely to increase the number of people who develop chronic infections and liver cancer"

How age affects vaccine responses and how to make them better

Good news!

"... In the largest study of its kind, published in Nature, scientists discovered that our T cells—key players in coordinating immune responses—undergo profound and specific changes as we age. These changes, far from being random or a byproduct of chronic disease and inflammation, are a fundamental feature of healthy aging and will happen to all of us as we get older. ..."

From the abstract:

"The generation and maintenance of immunity is a dynamic process that is dependent on age Here, to better understand its progression, we profiled peripheral immunity in more than 300 healthy adults (25 to 90 years of age) using single-cell RNA sequencing, proteomics and flow cytometry, following 96 adults longitudinally across 2 years with seasonal influenza vaccination.

The resulting resource generated a single-cell RNA-sequencing dataset of more than 16 million peripheral blood mononuclear cells with 71 immune cell subsets from our Human Immune Health Atlas and enabled us to interrogate how immune cell composition and states shift with age, chronic viral infection and vaccination. From these data, we demonstrate robust, non-linear transcriptional reprogramming in T cell subsets with age that is not driven by systemic inflammation or chronic cytomegalovirus infection.

This age-related reprogramming led to a functional T helper 2 (TH2) cell bias in memory T cells that is linked to dysregulated B cell responses against highly boosted antigens in influenza vaccines.

Collectively, this study reveals unique features of the immune ageing process that occur prior to advanced age and provides novel targets for age-related immune modulation. We provide interactive tools for exploring this extensive human immune health resource at https://apps.allenimmunology.org/aifi/insights/dynamics-imm-health-age/."

How age affects vaccine responses and how to make them better - Allen Institute "Age-related shifts in T cells weaken vaccine response in older adults, but new findings pave the way for next generation of vaccines"

Multi-omic profiling reveals age-related immune dynamics in healthy adults

Fig. 1: Maintenance of age-related changes in the healthy human immune cell transcriptome over time.