#vaccine

futurism.com

Authorities Alarmed When Person With Measles Spends Entire Day Frolicking Around Universal Studios

Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Email address Thank you! Even notorious anti-vaxxer and US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr had to urge families to vaccinate their children against measles last week. Despite being an entirely preventable disease thanks to a highly effective vaccine that has been widely available since the 1960s, cases of measles have skyrocketed in recent years, facilitated by a White House that’s declared war on scientific research, made a mess of childhood vaccine mandates, and furthered dangerous misinformation. As of last week, the US had recorded 2,465 confirmed infections so far this year, already more than the 2,289 total cases in 2025. The last two years saw more total infections than the rest of the 21st century combined, as The Guardian reports, with 2026’s tally beating a 35-year record. Now, in the midst of all that crisis crisis, a character has stumbled into the narrative who perfectly illustrates how it’s gotten so bad. As the LA Times reports, a measles-infected individual spent a whopping 11 hours at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park last month, potentially exposing countless other visitors. The Los Angeles County Public Health Department was forced to issue...

news.un.org

Ebola in DR Congo: Childhood deaths rise; hopes raised over new vaccine

Children and women continue to bear a disproportionate share of the outbreak in Ituri, the most affected province, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The health crisis is unfolding in a province where nearly one million people have been displaced by conflict, with women and children accounting for around 80 per cent. Young lives lost The outbreak emerged in mid-May and since then, more than 300 children have succumbed to the virus, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said. Moreover, children make up nearly a quarter of confirmed cases, but almost a third of all deaths, the agency added. Earlier this week, the UN reported that the outbreak is also severely disrupting essential healthcare. “In the hardest-hit areas, use of health services has dropped by more than 40 percent in recent months, as fear of infection keeps people away,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York. Pregnant women in peril This fear, combined with overstretched health services, is preventing many pregnant women from seeking care. The warning by the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, comes as maternal deaths in Ituri have nearly doubled since the outbreak began. Roughly six women...

www.cidrap.umn.edu

CDC adds almost 100 new cases to expanding US measles outbreak

www.empr.com

Moderna's mFlusiva Approved as First mRNA-Based Influenza Vaccine

Moderna’s mFlusiva becomes the first mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine approved in the US, demonstrating superior relative efficacy over standard-dose controls in adults aged 50 and older.

eslammsd-trendwire-chronicles.static.hf.space

Universal vaccine for pneumococcal disease moves closer to reality

TrendWire Chronicles

www.kff.org

As FDA Approves First-Ever mRNA Flu Vaccine For Older Adults, Past KFF Polling Showed Most In This Age Group Were Uncertain About the Technology's Safety

On August 5, 2026 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever messenger RNA (mRNA) flu vaccine for adults 50 and older. Manufactured by Moderna, the vaccine is expected to be available for the 2026-2027 season. The new vaccine was found to be safe following a trial of roughly 40,000 people, with results indicating the new shots could offer more protection than prior flu vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccines were the first publicly available vaccines in the U.S. to rely on mRNA, and while studies have demonstrated that vaccines using the technology are safe and effective, mRNA technology has long been the subject of attacks and criticism by anti-vaccine groups. Last year, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the cancellation of $500 million in federal funding for mRNA research. KFF polling in April 2025 found that most adults ages 50 and older (the age group that will be eligible for the new mRNA flu vaccine) were uncertain whether mRNA vaccines are safe. Views on the safety of mRNA technology differ by partisanship, with Democrats about three times as likely as Republicans to see it as safe; however, at least half of adults 50 and older across partisans said...

www.skepticalraptor.com

Another study shows no link between the MMR vaccine and autism

A new large-scale study involving over 2.5 million children reaffirms that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

www.iflscience.com

First-Ever mRNA Flu Vaccine Finally Approved By FDA In Time For 2026 Season - After They Initially Refused To Review It

mRNA vaccines shot to public prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, but scientists had been working on this technology for years prior. With the success of the COVID shots, attention has naturally turned to other infectious diseases, and influenza viruses – both the seasonal and pandemic variety – are a top candidate. But Moderna’s new mRNA vaccine – just approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults aged 50 plus – has had a rockier road than might have been expected. A tale of mistrust and misinformation The scientific consensus on mRNA vaccines is clear: according to a review published just weeks ago, they’re safe, effective, and extremely promising. And yet mistrust still swirls around this research. Last year, US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced a “coordinated wind-down” of mRNA vaccine development to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in canceled contracts. In his statement at the time, Kennedy made claims that these vaccines are not effective against upper respiratory tract infections like flu. The scientific evidence says the opposite. Kennedy is not the only US lawmaker to have expressed doubt about these vaccines. In February 2025, there was a...