It is a true pleasure to share that Vaccines Beat continues to grow. In the coming months, we will introduce exciting news, including a Polls section designed to encourage discussion and exchange ideas with our thousands of subscribers worldwide.
In this issue’s Coffee with the Expert, we are honored to welcome back Professor Rino Rappuoli, one of the world’s most influential scientists in vaccinology and immunology. Professor Rappuoli is currently Scientific Director of the Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, Italy’s national center for pandemic preparedness and biomedical innovation, where he leads the Foundation’s scientific strategy and the National Anti-Pandemic Center (CNAP). He co-founded the field of cellular microbiology, integrating cell biology and microbiology, and pioneered reverse vaccinology, a groundbreaking genomics-based approach that transformed vaccine development by replacing traditional empirical methods with rational, genome-driven design. In this interview, Prof. Rappuoli explores the pivotal role that vaccines and vaccination play in addressing one of the greatest threats to global health: antimicrobial resistance (AMR). His work on reverse vaccinology 3.0 and AI-enabled vaccine/monoclonal antibody development is the scientific centerpiece. He strongly arguments that the policy impact of vaccination on AMR should be reflected in vaccine labels and health-economic evaluations.
In our Editor’s Corner, we examine The Next Chapter of Ebola Vaccination: Lessons from the 2026 Bundibugyo Outbreak. This editorial explores how the recent outbreak has reshaped our understanding of Ebola prevention, highlighting the progress achieved through vaccination while exposing the challenges that remain against non-Zaire ebolavirus species. We discuss the implications for future vaccine development, outbreak preparedness, global surveillance, and the urgent need for broadly protective vaccines capable of addressing the full diversity of Ebola viruses.
Our Best Practice section examines Influenza Vaccination for the 2026–2027 Northern Hemisphere Season: Updated WHO Recommendations.
In the Guest Contributor section, Felicitas Colombo talks about Health Ethics as the foundation of trust. How transparency, accountability and equitable Public-Private collaboration empower the vaccine ecosystem.
As always, this issue also features carefully curated summaries of the Latest Scientific Publications, together with the most relevant and timely News and Alerts from the world of vaccines and infectious diseases.
We hope you find this August 2026 Issue both informative and engaging. We look forward to continuing our shared commitment to advancing immunization, strengthening public health, and contributing to a healthier and more resilient world.
Sincerely,
Enrique Chacon-Cruz, M.D., MSc
Chief Editor, Vaccines Beat
