Meningococcal B vaccination does not reduce gonorrhoea, trial results show.
Contrary to existing evidence from observational studies, the meningococcal B vaccine (4CMenB) has no effect on preventing the acquisition of gonorrhoea, according to the results of the world’s largest randomised control trial (RCT) into possible efficacy, conducted by Griffith University’s Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics and the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney. The results were presented today by Professor Kate Seib from Griffith University at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver, Colorado.
Published: February 24, 2026.
European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use Adopts Positive Opinion Recommending Marketing Authorization of mCOMBRIAX, Moderna’s mRNA Combination Vaccine Against Influenza and COVID-19.
mCOMBRIAX is the world’s first flu plus COVID combination vaccine to receive a positive CHMP opinion recommending marketing authorization and represents Moderna’s fourth vaccine to receive a positive CHMP opinion mCOMBRIAX will be made available in the European Union, subject to final European Commission authorization and national regulatory and access procedures.
Published: February 27, 2026.
One vaccine may provide broad protection against many respiratory infections and allergens.
Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues invented a new vaccine that protects mice from respiratory viruses, bacteria and allergens — the closest yet to a universal vaccine. But still a long journey to undergo.
Published: February 19, 2026.
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2026/02/universal-vaccine.html
Bolivia confirms 5th death from Chikungunya fever as cases spike.
Bolivia recorded its fifth death from Chikungunya outbreak in the eastern department of Santa Cruz while infections from the virus keep surging, the Departmental Health Service reported Thursday. Director of the institution Julio Cesar Koca said 901 new cases were reported last epidemiological week, which means the epidemiological curve has not reached its peak. According to Koca, there have been 3,938 confirmed cases so far in 2026.
Published: February 27, 2026.
WHO: Recommendations for influenza vaccine composition for the 2026-2027 northern hemisphere season.
For vaccines for use in the 2026-2027 northern hemisphere influenza season, WHO recommends the following:
Egg-based vaccines:
- an A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- an A/Darwin/1454/2025 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Tokyo/EIS13-175/2025 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
Cell culture-, recombinant protein- or nucleic acid-based vaccines:
- an A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- an A/Darwin/1415/2025 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Pennsylvania/14/2025 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
Published: February 27, 2025.
Malaria vaccination reduces hospitalizations, deaths of children in northwestern Nigeria.
One year after the malaria vaccine was added to the routine immunization schedule in Nigeria’s Kebbi State, health authorities and caregivers are counting the gains.
Published: March 2, 2026.
Building the evidence for smarter HPV prevention.
Launching a harmonized, multi-country research study requires far more than scientific design alone. Complex logistics, standardized laboratory procedures, and extensive field training are essential to ensure data quality and comparability at scale. Global Burden Estimation of Human Papillomavirus (GLOBE-HPV) is a case in point. The study is led by the International Vaccine Institute in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its purpose is to generate data on the prevalence of human papillomavirus among girls and women aged 9 to 50 years in low- and middle-income countries across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, regions where significant data gaps exist.
Published: March 2026.
https://www.ivi.int/building-the-evidence-for-smarter-hpv-prevention/
Mauritania: how “desert vaccinators” track outbreaks among the dunes.
In Mauritania’s Adrar region, vaccination teams travel hundreds of kilometers across dunes and rocky plains to reach nomadic families constantly on the move.
Published: February 23, 3036.
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/mauritania-how-desert-vaccinators-track-outbreaks-among-dunes
New research from the US and Sweden suggests the HPV vaccine is beating cervical cancer.
Two new studies confirm the HPV vaccine offers lasting protection against cervical cancer, but geography still determines who benefits. A US study shows that nationally cervical cancer rates in women aged 20–31 have dropped 27% since HPV vaccination was introduced. In some states, rates have fallen by more than half, but progress varies widely depending on vaccine coverage. Meanwhile, a large Swedish study following women for up to 18 years found no evidence that the protection offered by the HPV vaccine fades. Those vaccinated before age 17 had around a 79% lower risk of invasive cervical cancer.
Published: March 3, 2026.
WHO: Genetic and antigenic characteristics of zoonotic influenza A viruses and development of candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness.
The development of influenza candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs), coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), remains an essential component of the overall global strategy for influenza pandemic preparedness. Selection and development of CVVs are the first steps towards timely vaccine production and do not imply a recommendation for initiating manufacture. National authorities may consider the use of one or more of these CVVs for pilot lot vaccine production, clinical trials and other pandemic preparedness purposes based on their assessment of public health risk and need.
Published: February 2026.
First wild polio case of 2026 was confirmed in Sindh.
The National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC) on Thursday confirmed Pakistan’s first wild polio case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Sujawal district in Sindh. The case was reported through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad. The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) assesses the best response to prevent further transmission.
Published: March 5, 2026.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2595946/first-wild-polio-case-of-2026-confirmed-in-sindh
New guidance on the conduct of clinical trials during public health emergencies in the EU.
The Accelerating Clinical Trials in the EU (ACT EU) initiative has published a draft guidance document outlining how clinical trials should be conducted during public health emergencies (PHEs). The guidance, now open for stakeholder consultation, is intended for sponsors and all parties involved in the design and conduct of clinical trials in the EU.
Published: March 5, 2026.
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: Vaccine Sovereignty as a Strategy for the UK’s Future Health, Wealth and National Security.
“The lesson is clear: vaccine sovereignty is not about isolation or self-sufficiency, but strategic resilience. The UK must be able to act quickly and independently in a crisis, while remaining a reliable partner to allies. That requires sustained investment in domestic capability, alongside deepened international collaboration with trusted partners”.
Published: February 27, 2026.
https://institute.global/insights/public-services/vaccine-sovereignty-uk-health-national-security
Daily Report of the Measles Outbreak in Mexico (in Spanish).
Up to March 10th, 2026, Mexico has reported since this outbreak (epidemic) begun, almost 13,000 confirmed cases and 33 deaths.
Published: March 10, 2026.
https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/1064302/INFORME_DIARIO_SARAMPION_20260310.pdf
Epidemic and emerging disease alerts in the Pacific as of 10 March 2026.
Dengue, measles, pertussis, norovirus, among others.
Published: March 10, 2026.
https://reliefweb.int/map/world/epidemic-and-emerging-disease-alerts-pacific-10-march-2026
CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks.
As of March 5, 2026, 1,281 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. For the full year of 2025, a total of 2,283 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States.
Published: March 6, 2026.
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html
Gavi: Six major health threats that could shape 2026: here’s what experts are watching.
A new Gavi insight paper highlights six immediate threats to global and regional health in 2026, and some of the initiatives, tools and solutions designed to keep them at bay.
Published: February 19, 2026.
Chikungunya in Argentina 2026.
Since late 2025, an increase in chikungunya fever transmission has been observed in the Region of the Americas, with outbreaks in neighboring countries. In Bolivia, a sustained increase in cases has been recorded, with outbreaks in the border municipalities of Yacuiba and Bermejo (Tarija Department), characterized by high population mobility and frequent transit with northern Argentina. In this context, imported cases have been reported in various jurisdictions in Argentina, and since early January 2026, cases with no travel history have been reported in the province of Salta, with outbreaks in Profesor Salvador Mazza (General José de San Martín Department) and Aguas Blancas (Orán Department). Likewise, at the end of February 2026, confirmed cases with no travel history were reported in Yerba Buena (Tucumán).
Published: March 9, 2026.
https://outbreaknewstoday.substack.com/p/chikungunya-in-argentina-2026
WDR 2026: Climate change, vaccine hesitancy, migration breeding grounds for harmful information.
The IFRC’s World Disasters Report 2026, published last Thursday, says “climate change, vaccine hesitancy and migration” are issues on which “harmful information thrives, crossing borders and … being reshaped by local contexts, narratives and political agendas.”
Published: March 8, 2026.
Mosquito-borne viruses, vaccine-borne hope.
From chikungunya and dengue to yellow fever and Zika, mosquitotransmitted diseases are spreading with urbanization, travel and climate change. A new generation of vaccines, trials and publichealth tools aim to keep ahead of the threat.
Published: March 9, 2026.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41591-026-00014-6
Scientists turn mosquitoes into “flying vaccines”.
Researchers are investigating whether vaccine-carrying mosquitoes and edible vaccines could help reduce the spread of rabies and Nipah virus from bats to humans. Scientists are testing giving a modified form of a virus to mosquitoes so they can then infect wild bats, vaccinating them against diseases that commonly spread to humans. Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of viruses that can be dangerous to humans or livestock, including rabies, Nipah, Hendra and some coronaviruses. Giving them vaccines could be an ideal solution, but there’s no easy way to do it. Researchers are also trialing edible vaccines for bats given through mineral-rich drinking stations.
Published: March 12, 2026.
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/scientists-turn-mosquitoes-flying-vaccines
Death toll from dengue outbreak in East Timor rises to 22.
The Ministry of Health reported a total of 3,501 cases.
Published: March 6, 2026.
https://www.plataformamedia.com/en/2026/03/06/timor-leste-dengue-outbreak-22-deaths-3501-cases/
Methods and operational framework of GALFLU: Individually randomized pragmatic controlled trial of high- versus standard-dose influenza vaccination in older adults.
GALFLU is a pragmatic, individually randomized, open-label clinical trial comparing HD-IIV and SD-IIV in adults aged 65-79 years in Galicia, Spain, during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 influenza seasons. The trial embedded individual randomization into the regional vaccination program and exploited digital health registries for comprehensive, low-burden data collection under real-world conditions. The primary outcome is relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) against a composite of influenza- or pneumonia-related hospitalizations. GALFLU provides a reproducible blueprint for future pragmatic evaluations embedded in routine public health settings. The trial was registered in EU Clinical Trials Register (2023-506,977-36-00); ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06141655).
Published: March 2026.
Ontario Rheumatology Association: ORA Summary of Immunization Recommendations for Immunocompromised Adults.
Herpes Zoster, Influenza, COVID, Pneumococcus, RSV, HPV, MMR, and TdaP.
Published: March 2026.
https://ontariorheum.ca/ora-summary-of-immunization-recommendations-for-immunocompromised-adults
