EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

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

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.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Oct-2026 03:16 ET (20-Oct-2026 07:16 GMT/UTC)

8-Sep-2026

Study shows that having COVID-19 is associated with lower, not higher, subsequent development of type 1 diabetes among those aged under 30 years

European Association for the Study of Diabetes
Reports and Proceedings

**Note this is an early release from the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]. Please credit the meeting when using this research**

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) shows that people who have had COVID-19 have a lower, rather than higher, risk of subsequent development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Furthermore, the effect is evident only in people who did not receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The study is by Carl Villaro Nolsøe and Dr Runa Mortansdottir Nolsöe, North Zealand Hospital, Hillerod, Denmark, and colleagues.

Meeting: Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)

8-Sep-2026

High-dose flu vaccine beneficial for older people with lung disease

European Respiratory Society
Reports and Proceedings

The risk of being hospitalised for flu or pneumonia can be reduced with a high-dose flu vaccine for older people with chronic lung disease, according to the combined results of two large clinical trials presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Meeting: European Respiratory Society Congress 2026

8-Sep-2026

Vaccine protects against multiple fungal infections without hurting the gut

University of Georgia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A vaccine created by University of Georgia researchers to battle multiple life-threatening fungal infections is successful in achieving protective immunity in pre-clinical animal models while also maintaining the biodiversity of the gut microbiome, according to a new study.

Journal: Microbiology Spectrum

8-Sep-2026

Faster diagnostics, deeper insights: Researchers strengthen response to Ebola outbreaks

German Center for Infection Research
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The current outbreak of Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlights the challenges of responding to rare but potentially devastating infectious diseases. Two studies led by researchers from the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen, together with other national and international collaborators, now provide important insights for outbreak response. One demonstrates how diagnostic tests can be evaluated rapidly during an outbreak; the other investigates the biological properties of the 2026 BDBV strain and whether an existing Ebola vaccine could offer some cross-protection. Both studies were published this month in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Journal: The Lancet Infectious Diseases

1-Sep-2026

New design strategy expands nanoparticle vaccine approach to influenza viruses

Scripps Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Now, in a Nature Communications study published on August 13, 2026, scientists at Scripps Research offer a blueprint for how to stabilize the various versions of influenza’s HA protein and use it to build nanoparticle vaccine candidates. Influenza is the latest target made compatible with the nanoparticle technology, specifically called self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SApNPs), which work by organizing many copies of viral proteins into clusters that the immune system can more easily recognize. This framework could eventually be applied to inform design of next-generation vaccines across diverse flu viruses.

Journal: Nature Communications

27-Aug-2026

Study finds that cognitive decline after omicron infection is largely reversible

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

More than two-thirds of hospitalized COVID-19 survivors maintained stable cognition 2 years after Omicron infection, while one in five experienced reversible decline. Researchers report that only 10.8% developed irreversible cognitive decline, including 3.6% with progressive decline. Older age, reinfection, severe illness, hypertension, longer hospitalization, and white matter lesions increased the risk, while education and vaccination were protective. Findings highlight potential for cognitive recovery, supporting monitoring of patients at higher risk of progressive decline.

Journal: Neuroprotection
Funder: National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Science and Technology Major Project, Hubei Province Key R&D Program, Core Medical Technology Project of Union Hospital, Hubei Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Project, Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation

24-Aug-2026

New flu vaccine protects mice against multiple strains

University of Michigan
Meeting Announcement

A new, nanoparticle vaccine could one day grant patients immunity to the flu with fewer trips to the doctor and without health officials correctly guessing which flu strains will become dominant each year.

24-Aug-2026

Yeast‑derived universal flu vaccine could someday replace yearly injections

American Chemical Society
Reports and Proceedings

Researchers have developed a process to manufacture flu vaccines in baker’s yeast that is fast, inexpensive, and safe. The approach could even make the yearly flu shot obsolete by providing long‑lasting protection against multiple influenza strains. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2026.

Meeting: ACS Fall 2026