FDA May Revoke Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Young, Healthy Children
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may revoke Pfizer-BioNTech’s emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, for children ages 6 months through 4 years.
HHS Reinstates Childhood Vaccine Safety Task Force
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reinstated the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, a long-dormant federal panel created by Congress to oversee the safety and quality of children’s vaccines.
HHS Cuts Funding for mRNA Vaccine Research
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has begun a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), including the cancellation and descoping of various contracts and solicitations.
Researchers Develop New Dental Floss Needle-Free Flu Vaccine
In a proof-of-concept study, researchers at Texas Tech University successfully vaccinated mice against influenza by cleaning their teeth with dental floss coated with inactive flu viruses.
Researchers Develop mRNA Vaccine That Stimulates Immune Response Against Cancer Tumors
Scientists at the University of Florida have developed an experimental mRNA vaccine that, when combined with standard immunotherapy drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, produced a strong antitumor effect in mice, which could lead to a new way of treating cancer without relying solely on surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.
Early Childhood Exposure to Aluminum- Absorbed Vaccines Poses No Risks
A recent study shows early childhood exposure to aluminum-adsorbed vaccines is not associated with an increased risk for autoimmune, atopic or allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders.
FDA Grants Full Approval for Spikevax in Children at Increased Risk of Disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval for Moderna’s Spikevax (mRNA-1273) COVID vaccine in children 6 months through 11 years who are at an increased risk of the disease.
Personalized Melanoma Vaccine Elicits Strong Immune Response
Results of a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute-initiated Phase I clinical trial for patients with melanoma show that an updated formula and delivery of the NeoVax personalized cancer vaccine called NeoVaxMI is safe, feasible and improves the vaccine-specific immune response compared to previous trials of the platform.
Advances in Vaccine Technology Continue to Save Lives
Despite growing vaccine skepticism, vaccination continues to be a highly effective public health intervention, saving an estimated four to five million lives per year.
HHS and NIH Invest in Universal Vaccine Platform for Pandemic-Prone Viruses
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have announced the development of the next-generation, universal vaccine platform, Generation Gold Standard, using a beta-propiolactone (BPL)-inactivated, whole-virus platform.
