Rx4Prevention

02/28/2026

This Science Friday, let's ponder pokes. They’re the unpleasant features of those all-important vaccines that keep us safe from disease. Wouldn’t it be sweet if we could have fewer of them?

Recent research may have inched closer to just that – a universal vaccine.

The study mimicked a universal vaccine scenario by dosing lab mice with a concoction of immune-provoking bits. The result? These mice were shielded from several respiratory pathogens, including COVID.

These new research findings beg an ongoing question in immunology: for reasons that are not fully clear, certain vaccines appear to offer at least partial protection against multiple viruses, in addition to its main target. Why?

Scientists hope to leverage that feature by initiating human trials of the universal vaccine in the near future. At the same time, additional research teams are digging deep into underlying systems responsible for the dual protective effect.

02/26/2026

Celebrate National Letters to an Elder Day! Sometimes love takes more than words; make sure the seniors in your lives are protected with vaccines to prevent infectious disease.

02/26/2026

02/24/2026

Here's to everyone's health!

On this day in 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended universal influenza vaccination for everyone age 6 months and older.

A timely reminder to to help ! It's not too late, as flu is still circulating.

02/24/2026

We will be watching!

On this day in 1954, children at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh received the first injections of Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine. Dr. Salk displayed his confidence in the vaccine by using it on his family during the trial stage.

Within just a few years, the Salk vaccine decreased the number of polio cases in the United States by fifty percent, and by the early 1960s, the number of Americans contracting polio fell to a few thousand annually.

💉 Discover the story behind a remarkable public health experiment in THE POLIO CRUSADE, now streaming on YouTube and the PBS app → https://youtu.be/kk2IDigWBN8

📸: Dr. Jonas Salk vaccinates his son, Darrell, with the polio vaccine. (March of Dimes Foundation)

02/23/2026

Preventing the spread of infectious sicknesses shows loved ones you care!

02/21/2026

In this week's Sci Fri blog, we ask if the mRNA flu vaccine is a yes or no-go proposition.

It’s been a confusing double-reversal. Initially, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed support for Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine, but later declined to review the application, citing issues in the clinical trial.

One week later, the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research reversed course and will consider the bid to allow the new flu vaccine for seniors.

The vaccine maker, Moderna, aims for full approval for adults 50-64 years of age and accelerated approval for adults 65 and over. The goal? Making the vaccine ready for the fall 2026 flu vaccine season.

Public health experts speculated that political motivation, then economic backlash, drove the FDA reversal. Last week’s FDA refusal shook confidence in the vaccine market, resulting in vaccine manufacturers cutting jobs and curbing research.

For now, let’s cross our fingers for a flu vaccine that uses technology enabling quick adjustments to match changing strains. It’s potentially a big step forward for protecting individuals – especially those with fragile health -- from complications of severe influenza.

02/14/2026

Our latest Science Friday topic? AI-powered Vaccinology

As artificial intelligence (AI) gets – well – more intelligent, it just may revolutionize medicine. Let’s explore how AI might impact vaccinology.

As seen during the COVID pandemic, AI can compress vaccine development timelines -- from years to months -- by identifying and testing potential candidates using computer simulations prior to expensive wet-lab testing.

AI’s deftness in analyzing large and complicated datasets allows predictions of potential side effects among diverse groups of people.

AI can predict viral mutations and then suggest which strains to include in vaccines to maintain effectiveness as variants evolve.

AI-driven operations can boost production, reduce waste, and ensure every batch meets quality standards. That same sharp AI management optimizes the cold chain during distribution, keeping vaccines stable during transport.

Even with AI's impressive attributes, scientists shouldn’t hang up their lab coats just yet. Because AI-guided medicine is in its toddlerhood, it requires the leadership of seasoned scholars who direct its use, interpret the findings, and oversee its implementation.

02/12/2026

It's National Inventors' Day! We're raising our syringes to the late -- and notoriously hardworking -- Maurice Hilleman, PhD, developer of more than 40 vaccines. Put on his list of accomplishments MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, meningitis, pneumonia, chickenpox, and pandemic influenza vaccines.

Bravo!

02/10/2026

Prevent influenza, COVID, and RSV with routine vaccines.

REMEMBER: Antibiotics do not treat viral infections, like colds and flu

ALWAYS seek the advice of a qualified health care professional before taking antibiotics

02/09/2026

Block influenza with vaccines before it tackles you!

Have Super Bowl fever? Make sure it's not flu or COVID-19 …

The best defense is a good offense. to help and 🛑

Learn more at www.nfid.org/immunization NFL

02/07/2026

It's Science Friday! Let's look at five vaccine predictions for 2026.

The editorial board of “Vaccine Insights” forecasted key advances in vaccinology for 2026 and beyond.

1. More focus on vaccines with several antigens or immunogens, potentially preventing multiple diseases with a single injection

2. Vaccines that offer broader and longer-lasting protection, especially a coronavirus vaccine to better handle its viral mutations

3. An uptick in RNA-encoded antibodies for contagious illnesses

4. Improvement of immune responses by raising antigen delivery

5. A wider role for vaccines; in addition to preventing disease, immunotherapy for managing illnesses, such as long COVID.

Fulfilling this ambitious agenda requires a healthy collaboration between science, manufacturing, and public health, especially where and when robust vaccines are needed most.