The United States government recently announced changes to existing and future investment in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine technology, which was discovered in the early 1960s.
On August 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated that a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development activities under the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) had begun, including the cancellation and de-scoping of various contracts and solicitations.
mRNA Vaccine Technology Downgraded
World-First Gonorrhoea Vaccination Program Launches in England
The United Kingdom (UK) has recently initiated a significant shift from a focus on treating illness to prioritizing prevention, as part of its Plan for Change aimed at making the NHS fit for the future.
In the UK, people are experiencing more years of ill health, and the disparity in healthy life expectancy between the wealthiest and the poorest is widening.
To better protect those at high risk of gonorrhoea, the NHS and local authorities have begun rolling out a world-first vaccination program in England.
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Targeting Omicron JN.1 Lineage Safe
No significant increases seen in rate of hospital contacts for any of 29 adverse events in 28-day risk period after vaccination
Larazotide May Speed Recovery in Children With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome
Faster resolution of GI symptoms, faster clearance of spike antigen, faster return to usual activities reported for children treated with larazotide
Prevalence of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction Increased After Pandemic
Large postpandemic prevalence increases seen in functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome
Co-Administering Dengue and HPV Vaccines Found Compatible
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Dengue is a viral infection spread to humans by infected mosquitoes and is a leading cause of febrile illness among international travelers.
Based on the record-setting number of Dengue outbreaks in 2024, the WHO has classified Dengue as a grade 3 emergency, placing about four billion people at risk globally.
In recent years, the development of effective vaccines to prevent Dengue has been an essential factor in the global effort to reduce outbreaks.
Vaccine-Enhancing Adjuvant Library Launches
Scientists have launched the first-ever library of adjuvants that can be 'taken off the shelf' and used to enhance new vaccines being developed against epidemic and pandemic threats.
Announced on July 31, 2025, the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will host a repository of 25 vaccine-enhancing adjuvants. The adjuvant library could help quickly identify the top-performing vaccine-adjuvant pairings.
Study Estimates COVID-19 Vaccinations Prevented More Than 2.5 Million Deaths in 2020 to 2024
Most life-years saved were among people aged 60 years or older; estimates are more conservative than those that focused on the first year of vaccination
Polio Remains a Global Risk to International Travelers
In light of the ongoing spread of poliovirus and the detection of polio disease in various countries, the Forty-second meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations was recently convened by the WHO Director-General.
The Emergency Committee reviewed data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV) in the context of the global goals to interrupt WPV1 transmission and achieve certification of its eradication by 2027.
As well as to interrupt and certify the elimination of cVDPV2 by 2029.
Low Vitamin D Levels Up Risk for COVID-19 Hospitalization
Only a weak association seen for infection risk