EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

This September, we're exploring the science behind vaccines. From how they train our immune systems to fight disease to the research shaping their future, vaccines offer an opportunity to discover the science helping protect individuals and communities around the world.

Seasonal COVID-19 vaccination in 2025/26 reduced risk of illness by half in Canada

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An early estimate of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness for the 2025/26 season in Canada found that the vaccine had a protective effect even in the context of mismatched lineages.

Journal: Eurosurveillance
Funder: Public Health Agency of Canada, British Columbia Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Pacific Public Health Foundation

6-May-2026

Review finds no direct link between aluminium adjuvanted vaccines and serious or long term health conditions

BMJ Group
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Current evidence does not support direct (causal) associations between aluminium adjuvanted vaccines and serious or long term health outcomes, including autism, diabetes and asthma, finds a review of the latest data published by The BMJ today.

Journal: The BMJ
Funder: Public Health Agency of Canada

6-May-2026

New study suggests ‘freedom framing’ more effective than mandates for vaccine-hesitant Americans

University of Houston
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Houston researchers are applying the principles of marketing science to public health, proposing that the way vaccines are “framed” could be a factor in overcoming hesitancy.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

6-May-2026

Countries with seasonal influenza programs achieved 2.5× higher COVID-19 vaccination coverage, study finds

The Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives

New report from the Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives Finds Countries with Seasonal Influenza Programs Achieved 2.5× Higher COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage

Journal: Vaccine

5-May-2026

Clinical trial using a controlled human infection model paves way for an effective vaccine against hookworm disease

University of Nottingham
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A phase 2 human clinical trial of an antigen for a parasitic infection caused by hookworms has been shown to be effective in limiting the intensity of infection, paving the way for the development of a vaccine.

Journal: The Lancet Infectious Diseases

30-Apr-2026

Cervical cancer: A growing gap between high- and low-income countries

Université Laval
Peer-Reviewed Publication

While high-income countries like Canada could eliminate cervical cancer by 2048 through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening, the gap with lower-income countries is widening. A study published in The Lancet by a team from Université Laval and the CHU de Québec – Université Laval Research Center shows that these inequalities could skyrocket within a few decades if nothing changes in terms of prevention.

Journal: The Lancet

29-Apr-2026

Your nose is a battlefield

La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that the influenza vaccine FluMist can stimulate immunity in the upper airways of adults. This is the first time researchers have tracked how immune cells in the upper airways respond to an intranasal vaccine (given via a spray in the nose). The new study gives scientists a guide for measuring the effectiveness of new intranasal vaccines against RSV, COVID-19, and other respiratory diseases.

Journal: Science Translational Medicine
Funder: Collaborative Center for Human Immunology

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

Latest News Releases

Seasonal COVID-19 vaccination in 2025/26 reduced risk of illness by half in Canada

Review finds no direct link between aluminium adjuvanted vaccines and serious or long term health conditions

New study suggests ‘freedom framing’ more effective than mandates for vaccine-hesitant Americans

Countries with seasonal influenza programs achieved 2.5× higher COVID-19 vaccination coverage, study finds

Clinical trial using a controlled human infection model paves way for an effective vaccine against hookworm disease

Cervical cancer: A growing gap between high- and low-income countries

Your nose is a battlefield

Vaccine strategy induces broadly neutralising HIV antibodies