mRNA vaccines

A comprehensive global review has found that mRNA vaccines are not just highly effective at fighting infectious diseases but are also very safe. And that they have the potential to revolutionize how we treat influenza, RSV and many cancers.

Americans are being urged to be extra vigilant, as a new influenza A variant is spreading more rapidly and evading our abilities to fight it off. With more than 110,000 hospitalizations so far, scientists expect this wave to worsen as the season peaks.

In a Phase 3 trial of more than 18,000 volunteers across three countries, a novel mRNA influenza vaccine developed by Pfizer has outperformed standard seasonal flu shots by 34.5%. It's yet another sign that this biotechnology is here to stay.

Researchers at MIT have just developed a new lipid nanoparticle that super-enhances the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccine in mice to a hundred times its stand-alone effectiveness, reducing required dosages while also reducing toxicity in the liver.

Getting a COVID shot might do more than protect against the virus – it could also help cancer patients live longer. A new study found that mRNA vaccines were linked to a doubling in three-year survival for those on immunotherapy.