The CDC’s endorsement of the reformulated COVID-19 booster shots represents a major step in the effort to get more Americans boosted.
Although the COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives, they have been insufficient at preventing breakthrough infections.
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A robust body of research finds that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy is safe and effective – and the best way to protect both mother and child from the risks of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught most people more than they ever expected to know about immunology.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought immunology terms that are typically relegated to textbooks into our everyday vernacular. These stories helped us make sense of the ever-evolving science.
Preliminary research suggests that the omicron variant may potentially induce a robust immune response.
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Some of the omicron variant’s unique properties – such as its ability to spread rapidly while causing milder COVID-19 infections – could usher in a new phase of the pandemic.
Nucleic acid vaccines use mRNA to give cells instructions on how to produce a desired protein.
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DNA and mRNA vaccines produce a different kind of immune response than traditional vaccines, allowing researchers to tackle some previously unsolvable problems in medicine.
Some vaccines use mRNA to make copies of the triangular red spike proteins to induce immunity.
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The new omicron variant of coronavirus has a number of mutations that may require manufacturers to update vaccines. The unique attributes of mRNA vaccines make updating them fast and easy.
The U.S. government funded a significant portion of the R&D behind the Moderna vaccine.
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Moderna claims its scientists alone invented the mRNA sequence used to produce its COVID-19 vaccine. The US government, which helped fund the drug, disagrees.
Employees at the Afrigen biotechnology company and Vaccine Hub facility at work in the manufacturing laboratory.
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Afrigen will be a technology transfer and training hub: it shares technology and develops skills specifically around how to produce a safe, effective and affordable mRNA vaccine.
An FDA panel has voted against recommending approval of a booster COVID-19 shot for the general population – disappointing some public health officials.
mRNA technologies for vaccine production is gaining more prominence
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Thanks to the collaborative efforts of governments, funding agencies, academia, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, large-scale manufacturing of mRNA drug products is becoming a reality.
COVID-19 vaccines have been proved safe and effective. But it’s understandable to have questions.
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As many teens and adults in the US restart their social lives, parents of children under the age of 12 wonder when their kids will also be able to experience the freedom that comes with vaccination.
Canadian public health organizations have run into a serious communication problem about the AstraZeneca vaccine. Crisis management and communication theories explain what’s gone wrong.
Archa Fox, The University of Western Australia dan Damian Purcell, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
We have two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines so far. But what else can this technology do?
The AstraZeneca vaccine was 70 per cent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection in a large multinational study, and recently reported 76 per cent overall efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 in another large study done primarily in the United States.
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