What are monoclonal antibodies – and can they treat Covid-19?

Testing positive for COVID-19 – even without symptoms – can be disruptive to daily life, but how long should we expect to test positive for?

First published on 29 October 2021, updated on 13 September 2022

The COVAX Facility is seeking expressions of interest from the subject matter experts to join the COVAX Independent Product Group. The Independent Product Group (“IPG”) is established to provide scientific advice on COVID-19 vaccines and make…

Public speaking a lifelong skill for scientists. Drive behind research should come from grassroots. Science and art merge together in field of communication.

Kenya was aiming to reach 10 million people with COVID-19 vaccines by the end of December 2021. Thanks to a clear strategy, COVAX support and the hard work of thousands of health workers, they reached their target.

Moderna has begun a trial with an experimental HIV vaccine based on the same technology underpinning its COVID-19 vaccine.

Financial Times journalist and author Gillian Tett discusses her new book, Anthro-Vision: How Anthropology Can Explain Business and Life.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the power of innovative Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in healthcare systems. Unless these technologies are designed with equity at their core, we risk leaving some people even further…

Faced with the many disease threats posed by repeated, calamitous floods, Nyando in western Kenya needs its health services more than ever. But longer-term resiliency will require more than just a shot in the arm.

Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination is rare, and the risk is much smaller than the risks of cardiac injury linked to COVID-19 itself.

Resistance to the drug artemisinin was confirmed in Africa. Without better surveillance, it is hard to track the threat.

Endemic doesn't mean we drop our guard, surrender to the virus or downgrade the threat the virus poses to individuals or the community.

Anchoring bias meant we found it hard to get rid of the first bit of information we heard.

Sotromivab and baricitinib target COVID at different stages of its development, and will give doctors greater flexibility in treating Omicron patients.

Modelling suggests that increased COVID-19 vaccine donations by wealthy nations could benefit rich and poor countries alike.

Uganda is working hard to ensure that all the gains made in the fight against polio aren’t lost to the pandemic.

Emerging research is shedding light on why some people are more likely to develop persistent symptoms after catching COVID-19 than others.

Women make up 70% of the health workforce, yet personal protective equipment – or PPE – is still not being designed for them. A landmark conference held this week looked at solutions to the insidious gender bias putting female health workers’…

Asha Workers are the backbone of rural health infrastructure in India. Since the pandemic began, they have been actively involved in educating and helping people cope with the effects of COVID19.

A descendent of the Omicron variant called BA.2 could be more contagious, but it doesn’t appear to cause more severe COVID-19 disease.

Once gripped by uncertainty and confusion, the increased availability of life-saving vaccines is helping more Nigerians break the cycle of fear that came with COVID-19.

Nurturing confidence in vaccination among minority populations like the Haredim, a Jewish religious group sometimes problematically referred to as “ultra-Orthodox,” has a lot to do with listening, says medical anthropologist Ben Kasstan.

The effects of climate change may lead to future pandemics. As the aviation industry looks to the future, cleaner fuels and electric planes will be key to reducing aviation’s impact on the climate.

How to make sense of 'polygenic' risk scores.

‘Soft skills’, from motivating a team to tapping into networks, provide the vital oil that keeps supply chains moving smoothly. A programme called STEP is bringing together businesses and the public sector to help healthcare managers in the…

Mallory Smith died at 25 with cystic fibrosis, of an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. Amid rising rates of AMR, the elegiac sadness of her memoir-in-film feels like a warning.

Recent research found around a quarter of people with classic COVID symptoms didn't get tested.

PCR and antigen tests are still reliable in detecting the new variant, although in the first few days saliva could be better than nose swabs at picking up the virus.

Autoimmune diseases are becoming more prevalent around the world. They come about when the body’s immune system has difficulty distinguishing healthy cells from unhealthy microorganisms. These diseases include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid…

While there were concerns over the threat posed by COVID-19 at Africa’s premiere football tournament, host nation Cameroon is working hard to limit the spread.

A new study shows that Epstein-Barr virus infection is strongly linked to multiple sclerosis. There is currently no cure to multiple sclerosis, and access to innovative treatments is limited in many countries. Vaccinating for EBV instead could…

Wealthy countries have given their citizens third booster doses, yet have so far failed to ensure that those in less well-resourced nations are also protected; experts warn this inability to respond to a shared crisis could threaten climate…

Without it we could face further delays in the global rollout and risk the gulf between the vaccine haves and have nots widening.

Latest numbers show antimicrobial resistant infections contributed to 4.95 million deaths globally in 2019.

Workers from a syringe-making company in Kilifi, Kenya have been changing minds around the COVID-19 vaccine.

With more than half of all Europeans predicted to be infected with COVID-19 in the next two months, and perceptions of it being mild, it might be tempting to think it’s better to get the infection over with. Here’s why that is a dangerous game to…

Access to COVID-19 vaccines has been made easier in the Kingdom of Eswatini as residents can get their jab at bus stops and taxi ranks across the country.

COVAX and the other international organizations committed to vaccine equity cannot end the COVID-19 pandemic without the continued support of governments, industry, and civil society. By working together, the world has a chance to tame the…

 As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, here’s what you need to know about its symptoms.

Growing numbers of countries are cutting the isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19, but what does the science say about how long people remain infectious for?

COVID-19 has hit routine immunisation hard in southern Nigeria. Authorities are now working hard to ensure children don’t miss out.

Civil society, media, local influencers, celebrities, religious scholars, and frontline workers are all reinforcing the Pakistan government’s fight against Poliomyelitis.

3.6 million people have still not had even their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Ensuring every adult has received at least one dose should be our focus for 2022.

Daily COVID-19 cases have been rising fast, so how well protected is India’s population against Omicron?

A recent cold is no substitute for a COVID-19 vaccine, but lingering immunity from one might protect a lucky few.

To discover your risk of catching coronavirus for any given situation, try our COVID-19 Aerosol Transmission Estimator.

Emerging evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccination does impact menstrual cycle length – but the effect is minor and temporary.

Omicron’s seemingly milder symptoms have prompted some to speculate that the COVID-19 pandemic is burning out. But low vaccination rates mean there could be plenty of obstacles ahead.

Scientists around the world are working faster than ever to develop and produce vaccines that can stop the spread of COVID-19, with 21 vaccines now being rolled out in countries worldwide. Here is an at-a-glance overview of those vaccines and…

Even with a variant like Omicron that might be more transmissible than earlier variants, vaccines remain the most effective tool for protection against COVID-19 and for ending the pandemic.

Kenya is raising awareness about vaccines to reduce the number of zero-dose children who never receiving a single dose.

Revolutions in genome sequencing have been used to track COVID-19 in near real time.

Eswatini has launched a campaign to encourage members of the Zionist churches to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Influenza-coronavirus co-infections are increasingly being reported in the media, but how common are they, and should we be worried?

Health care costs push more than half a billion people into extreme poverty. COVID-19 adds to the burden, halting progress towards universal health coverage. Health policies must protect poor from financial hardship, say World Bank, WHO.

Mounting evidence suggests the Omicron variant is associated with fewer hospitalisations and is less likely to infect the lungs. However, it remains a major threat.

Health care professionals must act swiftly to ensure frustrated patients don’t fall victim to misinformation.

Research from South Africa has found another way in which Omicron could replace Delta and potentially make it less dangerous by boosting immunity to the latter variant.

Trans rights organisations such as the Good Thinker Organisation are working to ensure that Pakistan’s transgender community recovers from the hardship that COVID-19 has wrought.

Vaccination started off slow, but has steadily increased over 2021 thanks to public health messaging and vaccine deliveries.

A microbiologist answers 5 questions about how Moderna and Pfizer could rapidly adjust mRNA vaccines.

The country is on a major vaccination drive to ensure that people are protected and the economy can recover.

All around the world, COVAX deliveries are helping to protect frontline health workers, reach nomadic communities, reunite families and allow schools to reopen. Since deliveries began in March, #VaccinesWork has been publishing snapshots that…

While South Sudan has been declared cholera-free, it is an ongoing battle to keep things that way.

During the six decades of its 7th pandemic, cholera has become an avoidable, survivable scourge. But instead of ebbing away, the disease has emerged more starkly than ever as a vulture of inequity.

This year, the ongoing seventh cholera pandemic turned 60. Here, Lorenzo Pezzol, epidemiologist and cholera expert, tells #VaccinesWork that we have the tools to end it – and that we really should have done so long ago.

2021 has been another tumultuous pandemic year. #VaccinesWork has been there through every twist and turn in our collective pandemic story, covering the latest science, bringing new perspectives from countries across the world and digging into…

An expression of frustration with vaccine skeptics, German street artist and former immunologist Lapiz's new work is not your typical Christmas card.

People around the world have demonstrated global solidarity by donating to the COVAX Facility, providing vaccines to those who would otherwise have no access.

2021 has been another challenging pandemic year, but despite the challenges it saw important milestones, extraordinary resilience in Gavi-supported countries and progress on a number of fronts. In his annual end of year letter, Gavi CEO Dr Seth…

Commanding a large following among music and movie lovers, some Nigerian entertainers are using their popularity to encourage fans to take the COVID-19 jab.

COVAX deliveries have ramped up in Malawi, given local health workers and officials hope against the pandemic.

Israeli data suggests even those who’ve been double-jabbed or recovered from COVID-19 should take precautions to avoid infection.

COVID passes lower the risk of transmission and incentivise vaccine uptake at a time when boosters are desperately needed.

While immunologists often focus on antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2, T cell immunity may hold the key to preventing severe COVID-19 disease.

Reports that the Omicron variant may be associated with milder symptoms increase the need for vigilance and infection control.

Here's what you need to know about Omicron and traveling safely this holiday season.

How governments chose to respond to the coronavirus – and how well equipped their health services were before it arrived – made a big difference.

From the market square in Oba, Benin City, vaccinators reach busy businesspeople with COVID-19 vaccines.

As tourists flock to Kenya’s beaches after curfews were removed, the government is on a mission to ensure they’re protected with COVID-19 vaccines.

Malawi’s Ministry of Health has embarked on a two months vaccination express campaign to drive uptake and take vaccines to the people.

By the end of 2021, COVAX will have delivered approximately 800 million doses to 144 countries around the world – the largest and most complex vaccination rollout in history. But what exactly does it take for doses to arrive in countries?

Children might be unsettled by needles and vaccinations. However, vaccinations are an essential tool to stemming the spread of COVID-19. Here an expert explains what you can do to help alieviate children's concerns.

Since being designated a variant of concern on 26 November, the Omicron variant has rapidly spread across the globe. The consequences of this are still unclear, but scientific data is now starting to emerge.

Living with someone who believes in anti-vaccination misinformation can tear families apart, say experts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that African tax and social-benefit systems are currently ill-equipped to protect households from sudden income losses. Meaningful progress will require policymakers to reduce the size of the informal sector and…

Many myths and rumours have spread around the impact COVID-19 vaccinations could have on pregnancy and fertility. The truth is far more reassuring.

It has been one year since COVID-19 vaccines first became available in the UK. COVID-19 vaccines work well, but the question now is how can we make the best use of them? Getting first doses out to people in all countries has to become the…

Signs are emerging that the way your immune cells encounter SARS-CoV-2 can have a lasting impact on how they respond to it in the future.

Street artist Buffon draws attention to the importance of healthcare workers and how we can all play our part in ending the pandemic.

As the first line of defence against COVID-19, Togo’s healthcare workers are doing all they can to tackle the pandemic.

There is a glimmer of hope for Zimbabwe’s sports and entertainment.

The fight against the killer disease has nearly halved malaria deaths since 2000, but now that hard-won progress could be lost because of the pandemic.

Rather than marking the end of a very long journey we need to view the vaccine's arrival as the beginning of an important new one.

New data reveals that COVID-19 reduced Europe’s household spending by 8% in 2020. Nations with the severest lockdowns saw the most dramatic drop in household consumption, says Eurostat. Elsewhere, consumer spending in China fell by 17% in 2020.…

The suspension of tourism activities around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic gave researchers the chance to answer an important question: What impact does tourism have on wildlife populations?

All viruses change over time, and SARS-CoV-2 is no exception. Here’s what we know about the current variants circulating globally at the current time.

We won't know whether Omicron evades COVID vaccines for another few weeks. Here's why.

Malaria occupies a unique place in human history. Our neolithic ancestors were afflicted by it; the fall of Rome has even been partially attributed to it. During the 20th Century alone, malaria is estimated to accounted for up to five percent of…

The Gavi Board has approved the roll-out of RTS,S/AS01, the world’s first vaccine against malaria, a sickness which kills 260,000 children under five in sub-Saharan Africa every year. To get a sense of what this historic development might mean on…

Surveying by the Office for National Statistics shows Brits are increasingly pessimistic about things returning to how they were before.

Pre-COVID-19, Ghana’s health system was overburdened. The virus has made everything harder, and vaccine inequity has made it harder still.

Living with one lethal virus, the children of Snehagram in southern India bolster each other in surviving the coronavirus pandemic.

How the pandemic is reported by the media can influence people's behaviour.

A year ago, we had no COVID-19 vaccines, now we have many. Could the next generation of vaccines be better still?

There's a new COVID lineage called B.1.1.529. It has a genetic profile very different from other circulating variants.

"This crisis is far from over, and without dramatic course correction, will go on for some time."

Not much data, but lessons have been learned from the slow response to delta.

Measles is one of the world’s most contagious viruses. It can impair sight, hearing and cause brain inflammation and pneumonia. But even though it can be prevented by a vaccine, outbreaks in unvaccinated children continue to erupt even in the…

The media men and women in the country are doing their all to reverse this phenomenon.

Disease outbreaks have shaped the world. But how much? New thinking on an early medieval pandemic takes on “plague sceptics” to show that we likely underestimated the impact of the first cross-continental assault of bubonic plague.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how ill-prepared health systems and societies are in the face of pandemic shocks and their protracted impact. Now, as global attention begins to shift towards improving the way we prevent and respond to…

The variant was first detected in Botswana and contains a high number of mutations associated with increased immune evasion.

A new report reveals the devastating global impact of Group B streptococcus, but suggests vaccinating against it could be highly cost-effective – if an effective vaccine can be developed.

A comprehensive analysis of vaccine spending shows that while lower-income country governments take on the bulk of financing, they need to mobilise greater resources for immunisation.

The loss of jobs during the pandemic was experienced almost exclusively among part-time jobs. Research shows it is likely that demand for workers in hard-hit sectors will start to come back, writes economist Jonathan Wadsworth. However, the…

Switzerland has just become the first country to trade places with COVAX in manufacturers’ supply queues, making one million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine available to the Facility. But what is slot swapping and why is it necessary?

Researchers are closing in on why some people are apparently more resistant to COVID-19 infection.

The rampant spread of false information about the coronavirus has been attributed to politicians who have promoted remedies ranging from anti-malarial drugs to herbal drinks. But how humans process knowledge has an important role to play in…

There are differing views on whether mandatory testing and vaccinations will improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

The country moved quickly to contain the virus, but its health system struggled to look after those who got sick.

"Leave no one behind" has been one of the core pledges of the SDG 2030 agenda. In light of the COVID-19 situation, it is vital to consider the plight faced by people with disability. Nepal has lessons for us all.

The two groups bounced back more quickly in the jobs market than certain other groups, although they may still experience lasting consequences.

A new study has found that 26,000 metric tons of pandemic-related plastic waste has been released into the world’s oceans since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020.

A century-old system of governance has helped keep their land plentiful and their villages peaceful. Now elders in Isiolo County, central Kenya, are using the system to keep their villages free of COVID-19.

Luciferase is a useful tool in medicine and has nothing to do with Satan.

COVID-19 vaccine mandates have spurred protests and resignations. But the evidence so far points to marginal workforce losses. Evidence also suggests that mandates keep people safe and save lives.

Increasingly, people who are recovering from COVID-19 are reporting a distorted perception of odours, also known as parosmia.

Badly controlled bacteria in the mouth pose multiple risks.

On 7 October Kenya launched an ambitious campaign to vaccinate over a million operators in the public transport sector.

Laws and rituals surrounding disease have been part of everyday life for millennia. Here's why that's important.

SARS-CoV-2 has officially claimed 5 million lives, but credible estimates place the pandemic’s true death toll closer to 17 million. Either count secures COVID-19’s position on our list of history’s deadliest plagues. 

COVID-19 still has many unknowns, but hope lies in what we already know about preventing and treating pneumonia.

The vaccine, which is based on the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, is designed to target both the Zaire and Sudan species of Ebola virus.

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine has now been introduced in every state in India, meaning this lifesaver will be available to every child in the country.

In a conversation with Maria Deloria Knoll, PhD, IVAC’s Director of Epidemiology, Dr. Kagucia shared how Gavi-supported activities facilitated Kenya’s COVID-19 response by expanding capacity, testing, and partnerships.

Lagod – the epicentre of COVID-19 in Nigeria – is ramping up its vaccination campaign, with committed leaders and ambitious targets.

Zero-dose children who never receive a single vaccine are also more likely to miss out on crucial primary health care services.

In episode 8 of the Global Health Matters podcast, we spoke to Professor Margaret Gyapong of the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana and Dr Lee Hampton of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. These experts shared their views on how…

A gripping documentary about a family's struggle with the emotional and financial consequences of severe pneumonia.

The development of COVID vaccines has already been explosive. There are more innovations on the way.

In a sample of white-tailed deer, 80% were found to have an active COVID infection.

Dr Collins Tabu, Head of Kenya's National Vaccines and Immunisation Program, is on a mission to vaccinate at least half of the adult population against COVID-19 by the end of the year. #VaccinesWork spoke to him to see how they plan to do it.

Real world data from the UK shows the value of vaccinating girls against human papilloma virus (HPV) when they are 12 to 13 years of age.

In February 2021, Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts to vaccinate its population in order to save lives and stem the spread of the coronavirus were being stymied by a wave of misinformation and a low level of public acceptance of the vaccine.

Just 5.5% of Sierra Leoneans have had their first COVID-19 vaccination. With a target to reach at least 80% by December the campaign, with support from COVAX, is ramping up.

Dr Thomas Tu has an intimate relationship with the virus he’s devoted his life to studying, having been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B at the age of 14. He discusses the stigma associated with the disease and the future of treating it.

Even with the adversities and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic through 2020, Gavi maintained unyielding focus on leaving no one behind.

Inmates in Kenya’s prison system have been banned from seeing family members for over a year and a half. A vaccination campaign.

Hepatitis B kills more people each year than AIDS-related illnesses, yet an effective vaccine exists. Ensuring every child has access to it is crucial to fighting back.

Before immunisation for Hib became routine, it was one of the biggest killers of children under five and the main cause of meningitis. High vaccine coverage is essential to keep that threat at bay, especially given rising antimicrobial resistance…

Malawi prisoners are at higher risk of getting COVID 19; vaccines are helping to contain the spread.

Endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s famous Volcanoes National Park could face “population collapse” within 50 years if some of them contract COVID-19, new research suggests.

While there are those who have thrived, for most entertainers in Kenya COVID-19 came close to decimating the sector.

How do we ensure resilient health systems and immunisation programmes that can bounce back from future health threats? In this Q&A with Gustavo Correa, Gavi’s Senior Manager for Data systems and Information, and Josh Wunderlich, Gavi…

Doctors are rated as trustworthy by almost two-thirds of people, according to the Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index 2021. Scientists came in second, at 61% and teachers third, at 55%. How to restore trust is a key and growing theme for…

A year from now, instead of potentially entering the pandemic endgame, we could find ourselves at the start of a new and perpetual cycle of revaccination or boosters for people who have already previously been protected.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the product of a globalized, interconnected world. Without new mechanisms that offer truly global approaches to crisis management and prevention, the experience of the past 18 months is likely to be repeated, with…

COVAX can make even more of a difference if governments stop hoarding vaccine doses and allow the free flow of these crucial supplies.

To end the pandemic, the virus needs to be stamped out simultaneously across the world, but government hoarding and export restrictions are getting in the way of making this happen.

Dr Rebecca Powell is on a quest to understand the immune response to infection and vaccination in breastmilk, in the hope of designing maternal vaccines to boost babies’ protection against disease.

Oksanna Dias has been using street art to draw attention to the challenges of the women of Luanda.

Currently in advanced development, these next-generation rotavirus vaccines may address key barriers to vaccine uptake and access.

The disease can kill one in five people infected, yet an effective vaccine exists. Routine tetanus immunisation saves the lives of thousands of newborns every year.

Initially silent, respected religious leaders in Nigeria are beginning to make their voices heard in support of COVID-19 vaccines.

Cameroon is considering taking COVID-19 vaccines to schools amid a rise in the number of new cases.

Nozanin is a secondary school teacher and lives in the relatively prosperous region of Sughd, with better access to maternal health services than is found in other regions. However, medical costs are excessive for most people in the country,…

Some countries are already offering COVID-19 vaccines to teenagers and may expand this to children in the near future. Here’s what we know about vaccine safety and efficacy in these groups.

This new sub-variant of the delta has gained a foothold in the UK.

Reports of Guillain–Barré syndrome or other neurological complications following COVID-19 vaccination are understandably worrying, but the first study to robustly investigate such links has found that the risk is much greater after COVID-19…

Before immunisation for pertussis, or whooping cough, became routine, it killed twice as many children as measles and polio combined. High vaccine coverage is essential to keep that threat at bay.

Togo is blazing a digital trail on the continent, looking to online tools, including digital vaccine passports, to curtail COVID-19.

Dr. Folake Olayinka speaks about overcoming gender-related barriers to immunization.

As India celebrated its one-billionth COVID-19 vaccination, #VaccinesWork caught up with Anuradha Gupta, Gavi’s Deputy CEO and an Indian public health veteran.

The whole family approach is helping Lagos State tackle multiple disease outbreaks and helping families lead healthier lives.

After a halting start to its immunisation campaign, Pakistan has shifted into high gear, now administering a million doses a day. #VaccinesWork spoke to national health leaders and spent a morning at a rural vaccination centre to find out what…

Research in the UK shows COVID-19 symptoms can be similar to the common cold. So, how can you tell the difference? Here, genetic epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector explains the latest data and what you need to know.

Community health nurses in Ghana are on a mission to reverse the decline in routine immunisation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before immunisation for diphtheria became routine, it was a major killer of children and adults worldwide. High vaccine coverage is essential to keep that threat at bay.

Social distancing has shielded us from other respiratory viruses – but that's not necessarily a good thing.

With several countries making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for health workers, teachers and other frontline staff, anti-vaccination protesters have co-opted the feminist slogan “my body, my choice” from reproductive rights and bodily autonomy…

The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines has brought hope for the country’s education system.

For the Gosha community, vaccines are not only protecting them from COVID-19, but are also bringing development to their area.

Ahead of the COP26 climate summit, the World Health Organisation flags ten priority actions necessary to protect human and planetary health.

Welcome to Pandemica, a world where twice as many people die and life as we once knew it does not return for anyone.

First flight facilitated by the Hope Consortium touches down in Belgium with large delivery of ultra-cold chain freezers for onward shipment to 21 African countries.

In the face of mounting logistical hitches, ordinary Nigerians are rallying behind health workers to ensure the success of COVID-19 vaccine rollout across the country.

The pharma company Merck has applied for emergency use authorisation for an experimental COVID-19 antiviral treatment but, even if approved, such therapies won’t replace vaccines.

Identifying people who have recovered from COVID-19 could provide a way to accelerate protection of populations against the disease.

The sixth annual Heroines of Health Gala celebrated seven women fighting to improve the health of their communities. From mobilising nurses in Beirut after the blast in August last year to helping communities in Ethiopia affected by the civil…

The reasons for these results have yet to be confirmed – but maths may explain the phenomenon.

The sports and entertainment communities of Eswatini are banking on COVID-19 vaccines to turn their fortunes around.

Dr Peter J. Hotez’ timely and important book underlines the fact that we need vaccine diplomacy now more than ever to overcome threats to our health.

Going door-to-door, local community leaders are mobilising mothers to have their children immunised.

Skyrocketing prices for sanitary products, supply shortages and lockdowns are combining to make it harder and harder for girls and women in Nigeria to manage their periods.

The WHO and the manufacturers of the vaccine will be rallying countries, particularly those with high malaria burdens, to adopt the vaccine.

Climate change is set to transform global health. A new study has found that droughts – one product of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change – may already be impacting rates of vaccination.

Kenya is aiming to eliminate malaria entirely by 2030, with the world’s first malaria vaccine forming an important tool in its arsenal. The country’s youth is playing an important role.

The WHO recommendation on the RTS,S vaccine could protect millions of children across Africa.

These discoveries could help us treat a variety of conditions in the future – including chronic pain.

Authorities in Kenyan border regions have come up with an innovative way to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations among herder communities: combine it with animal vaccination.

It is science that we must once again turn to so that we can remain one step ahead of the virus. Increased investment in ongoing vaccine R&D efforts will enable COVAX to deliver on its promises and ensure that our vaccines remain safe and…

Greater urgency is needed in the response to the pandemic, to end AIDS and to end COVID-19.

How the 'smoker's paradox' went up in a puff of smoke.

Hand sanitiser has become a regular feature of our lives since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but how effective is it – and is it a good idea to be so clean?

Vaccine hesitancy is “not a stable trait,” concludes a new American study, which found that a majority of initially hesitant respondents shifted their stance in favour of getting the jab.

Vaccines are still extremely effective at preventing severe disease. Waning antibody levels doesn’t always translate to lessening immunity.

A new study suggests that more than half of women may have experienced irregularities in their periods after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Despite the havoc wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic on health systems worldwide, governments’ work to bring immunisation programmes back on track is paying off.

Routine immunisation took a hit in Nigeria thanks to the pandemic. Thanks to the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly for health workers, mothers are returning to immunisation clinics.

Domestic dogs have been shown to be the only species necessary to maintain rabies across most of Africa. This means that dog vaccination should control the disease in all species.

With COVAX stepping up deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines in South Sudan, there is a steady increase in demand for the jab.

Researchers have identified seven symptoms that are highly predictive of a positive COVID-19 test.

The Ugandan government is on a drive to vaccinate teachers to ensure the reopening of schools across the country.

Careful planning enabled this small, mountainous Himalayan country to vaccinate 90% of its adult population in three weeks.

On Thursday 23 September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, global health leaders gathered to discuss gender equality in healthcare worldwide. Here’s what happened.

Although children are less susceptible to COVID-19 than adults, there are still risks associated with infection.

The COVAX vaccine procurement facility has run a remarkable race, but needs stable funding for long-term success.

The pandemic undermined women and girls’ fundamental rights and we must learn lessons about its impacts to build back better and ensure these groups aren't left behind. Empowering women and girls has proven to increase the health and well-being…

COVID-19 is hitting nomads in Kenya’s Rift Valley hard. They are turning away from traditional medicine and customs as a result.

Although people who have recovered from COVID-19 may be less likely to catch it again, there are many reasons to avoid becoming infected in the first place.

New discovery could help scientists develop more targeted drugs and vaccines.

Israeli data adds to mounting evidence that taking a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy is safe.

Delivering COVID-19 vaccines in low- and middle-income countries is only the first step in being able to vaccinate the world and bring this pandemic to an end. It’s essential to get vaccines from tarmacs into the arms of people living in last…

The arrival of cholera on European shores in the 19th Century helped kick off the long path towards modern global health institutions and diplomacy. However, these beginnings were anything but fair.

Just 0.2% of COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered to lower-income countries through COVAX expired before they could be administered, estimated to be a significantly lower amount than wealthier countries.

With support from Gavi, WHO and UNICEF, Togo is introducing various mechanisms to turn the tide of COVID-19.

The White House is calling a virtual COVID-19 Summit on Wednesday, 22 September. Its targets for global vaccination are ambitious and essential as we work together to defeat COVID-19.

Thomas Sorenson, Senior Manager in the Cold Chain Unit, UNICEF Supply Division, explains the work behind the scenes to roll-out the largest ultra-cold chain deployment in history.

Four UN agencies have compiled a first-of-its-kind Compendium of guidance on health and environment to help policymakers save millions of lives. The Compendium pulls together 500 actions and recommendations on everything from clean water and…

In Kisumu, which is still recovering from the after-effects of flooding, authorities are working to bring vaccines to the beleaguered residents.

In Malawi urban areas have more unimmunised zero-dose children than rural regions. The government is working hard to close the immunisation gap.

The 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) will take place from 14-30 September 2021. Could we see a breakthrough in the fight for universal vaccine access?

Although it’s not clear how this compares to the full dose licensed worldwide for emergency use, a quarter of a dose produces an equivalent immune response to immunity from infection.

Nepal has distributed more than 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine according to a considered allocation schedule based on humane, inclusive, epidemiological good sense. The country’s future safety depends on the willingness of the rest of the…

A study in Malawi found that TCVs are 84% efficacious among children 6 months to 15 years of age – the first such evidence among African children.

While vaccines have helped save millions of lives in this pandemic, the ever-evolving virus has spread so far that it may be here to stay.

In Lagos, Nigeria's most populous state, COVID-19 survivors are encouraging more Nigerians to be vaccinated.

The war against Boko Haram in Cameroon's northern region and the struggle against armed secessionists in the west have taken a significant toll on vaccine roll-out.

With COVID-19 still ongoing, viruses like Nipah are nipping at its heels as the potential next pandemic threat.

As the African continent battles a third wave of coronavirus infections, access to reproductive health and rights is an ongoing challenge.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reportedly increased the number of teenage mothers across Africa. Inadequate childcare support and stigma can prevent teenage mothers accessing routine immunisation and nutritional support for their infants. Girl Effect…

Even though many wealthy countries are planning to roll out booster doses, a Lancet review has concluded that the standard COVID-19 vaccination regimen is highly effective, even against the Delta variant.

Kenya has ramped up its COVID-19 vaccination programme, expanding the list of who can get vaccinated.

While the supply is lower than predictions earlier this year, wealthy countries and manufacturers hold the power to improve supply.

mRNA vaccines are the first synthetic vaccines, meaning they are made outside of a living cell. But so are lots of things we consume every day, such as vitamin C pills and other dietary supplements.

The Sierra Leonean documentary is a complex portrait of courageous solidarity amid contagion.

The British artist John D’oh uses humour and wit to drive home messages about vaccines and other measures such as hand-washing and social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Launch of vaccine trial marks “significant milestone” towards beating this debilitating disease.

A study looking at health issues such as stroke or seizures after COVID-19 vaccination showed that vaccines weren’t linked to any significant number of side effects.

Data from the UK suggests double vaccination lowers the risk of ongoing COVID-19 symptoms, as well as reducing hospitalisations and the severity of the initial illness.

Gavi has supported a major expansion in yellow fever diagnostic capacity in Africa over the past three years. The results show just how much improving diagnostics can have a cost-effective yet significant impact on immunisation programmes.

More often than not, the road to a meaningful triumph is a bumpy one.

While most people jumped at the chance to get their COVID-19 vaccine, some have been more hesitant over concerns about safety.  Here we explain all the checks and balances in place to make sure the vaccines are safe.

Additional G20 support can make the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access facility a success. Failure to achieve equitable access would mean more lives lost, broken health-care systems, even deadlier and more transmissible variants, and a pandemic with…

Getting market women and pen-pen drivers vaccinated is critical to tackling COVID-19 in Liberia.

Getting COVID-19 vaccines out to countries isn’t just about ensuring supply – a major stumbling block can be their ‘absorptive capacity,’ or the ability to deliver the volume of vaccine coming their way. Here, we talk to Alex de Jonquieres,…

COVID-19 boosted sales of antibiotic formulations used in adults and adolescents in India. Antibiotics should not be prescribed to treat viral diseases. Misuse of antibiotics can result in drug-resistant infections.

Brazilian scientists have found that transmission of hantavirus, a deadly infection, could be reduced by 45% if Brazil restores its Atlantic Forest to levels mandated by its Native Vegetation Protection Law. Hantavirus, spresd by contact with…

Distance and fear of the pandemic has put many parents off from taking their children to health clinics in Zimbabwe. So one converted taxi is taking the clinic to them.

The Marburg virus will be present wherever the Egyptian Rousette bat occurs.

A rapidly mutating coronavirus variant called C.1.2 is generating headlines around the world. Here’s what we know about it so far.

Pandemic ceasefires offer an opportunity to expand vaccination efforts, experts say. But negotiation is tricky.

A new study from Israel suggests the risk of a breakthrough infection among vaccinated people was higher than among people who’d previously had COVID-19 but had not been vaccinated. However the greatest benefit came to those who'd previously…

A universal vaccine has been described as the ‘holy grail’ – but how close are we to getting one?

Children can get long COVID, but it seems to be less common than in adults. And they tend to recover quicker.

More than a quarter of a million infants in low- and middle-income countries are predicted to have died in 2020 due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

With evidence showing the COVID virus is airborne, it's no coincidence many outbreaks in schools have occurred in winter – when windows are closed.

With COVID-19 stretching the healthcare system in many parts of Nigeria, health workers and community leaders have to go the extra mile to ensure vaccines reach victims of the country’s latest cholera outbreak.

Malawi’s Ministry of Health recently conducted a nationwide polio vaccine catch up campaign targeting 1.8 million children who had previously missed out on the vaccine.

Children are increasingly falling sick worldwide, but existing poor health and inadequate access to health care means the most vulnerable kids are most at risk.

A new study suggests the RTS,S malaria vaccine alone is as effective as preventive antimalarials; together they could save thousands of lives.

Wildfire smoke has been linked to higher COVID-19 mortality rates, threatening to compound what is already one of the worst burdens of coronavirus infections and deaths in the world. At particular risk are Indigenous populations, who suffer…

Kenya’s community workers fight to continue vaccinating children during the pandemic to avoid the reversal of historic gains.

A public health scholar based in New Delhi explains how India has emerged from the massive spike in COVID-19 cases, even as the country braces for a new wave.

Experts point to a more fundamental right to be protected from the disease, particularly as it continues to spread primarily among the unvaccinated.

As New Zealand enters another lockdown after detecting a single COVID case, it's time to consider whether stringent zero COVID strategies are feasible in the long term.

In the absence of good vaccines, doctors treating epidemic diseases must rely on cumbersome PPE as their one safety net. At least modern hazmat suits, unlike the 17th century plague doctor's all-leather outfit, actually work.

COVID-19 has caused a decline in the delivery of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines that protect girls from cervical cancer. Anuradha Gupta, the Deputy CEO of Gavi, explains what we must do to create more access to these vaccines.

For the waster pickers of Bulawayo, COVID-19 has posed risks to both their health and their incomes. Hope for a vaccine is reaching fever pitch.

Using big data and deep learning, machines and systems are offering new ways of responding to a pandemic.

Rich countries are now considering giving booster doses to vulnerable individuals, having fully-vaccinated most adults. Is this wise?

The way we live can shape the evolution of pathogens, for better or worse.

COVID-19 variants threaten to undermine global vaccine programmes unless we accelerate the pace of delivery and rise to the challenge of global deployment.

The news is full of stories of people who refused the jab who died of COVID.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic hit routine immunisation hard in Zimbabwe, but thanks to the hard work of local health workers children are now getting the protection they need.

Many COVID-19 antibody tests are not designed to specifically detect antibodies that develop as a result of vaccination, and thus cannot show whether antibodies are of the right quantity or quality for protection against infection or illness.

Access to routine immunisation and primary health care is changing the lives of children in Makoko, Nigeria’s largest coastal slum.

Could artificial intelligence succeed where people have failed in helping people overcome their fears about vaccines?

Vaccines are among modern medicine’s greatest innovations, allowing billions of people to lead healthy lives. But stopping outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease – and not only COVID-19 – depends on achieving critical mass with immunization…

We all need to know about the science of COVID as we battle through pandemic, but the ultimate story will lie in how it changed our society.

New study finds TCV prevents 85% of cases among vaccinated children in Bangladesh, which has one of the highest typhoid burdens in the world.

To improve routine immunisation, Nigeria is implementing the Accelerated Action for Impact (AAI) initiative.

Breakthrough infections are to be expected, but it doesn’t mean the COVID-19 vaccines aren’t working.

Being immunocompromised appears to affect the vaccine response, but this seems to vary depending on the causes of the person's low immunity.

The latest IPCC report emphasises the inevitability of some degree of climate change. The human health impact of this should not be ignored.

The narrative of the Broad Street pump is the story of a vital epidemiological discovery; it’s also a story about discovery: it has the tidy, conclusive quality of a fable about science. But in the years after its discovery, John Snow’s theory of…

COVID restrictions have prevented the spread of other respiratory viruses too. As these are lifted, the UK government has warned parents of a delayed surge in infections.

The best single predictor of vaccine uptake per US state is not political affiliation, but the share of the population that believes the human race has always existed. Such findings do not bode well for the global effort to boost vaccination…

The sooner we start using booster jabs, the more likely it is that we will need them.

Respiratory viruses, such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2, while spread primarily by respiratory droplets can also be spread by contaminated hands touching the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and eyes.

In 2014, Nigeria escaped an Ebola pandemic in the span of 93 days because of the bravery and quick response of health care workers in Lagos. As the world fights through the COVID-19 pandemic, the film 93 Days – though grim – is a hopeful reminder…

In rural Zambia, clinics and health centres rely on a limited number of medical personnel to run immunisation programmes, which makes the support of community leaders vital.

Offit’s sobering inquiry into “one of the worst biological disasters in American history” is a work of unflinching investigative journalism which lands, finally, not as a whodunit, but as a tribute to modern systems of meticulous vaccine…

From clinical trials to population surveillance, these are the multilevel mechanisms that ensure vaccine safety – including the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

During a pandemic supply bottlenecks of essential medical products are almost inevitable, but with COVID-19 this has been further exacerbated by governments hoarding doses and imposing export bans.

Uganda is setting an example by including its estimated 1.4 million refugees in its COVID-19 vaccine programme, however there are still barriers to overcome.

As World War I reached its climax, a terrible influenza pandemic broke out. By summer 1919, it had claimed many more lives than the conflict – but the conflict, researchers say, helped create the conditions for the devastating spread of the so-…

The Savannah Innovation Hub teaches young women in Garissa County to counteract COVID-19 vaccine misinformation from groups like Al-Shabaab.

Abdullah and his family escaped genocidal violence in Myanmar in 2017, survived a diphtheria epidemic in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar and weathered the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in a Rohingya camp. Then, in December 2020, he returned to the…

Pakistan is one of two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic making it essential that the entire country supports the successful implementation of every polio campaign. Women play a critical role, often working at polio’s frontline.

Vaccines against cancer may seem like a futuristic notion, but children around the world are already getting protection against two of the biggest causes of cervical and liver cancer: HPV and hepatitis B.

Just because face coverings aren't mandatory doesn't mean they're not protective – so here's how to ask someone to wear one.

This series cuts through the noise to help you catch up with the latest COVID-19 developments in an entertaining and digestible way.

While there was some initial reluctance to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Eastern Uganda, attitudes are changing fast.

BCG remains the only widely available vaccine for TB. Yet the development of a COVID-19 vaccine over the last year shows that there is capacity to rapidly create new vaccines.

Real-world data is starting shed light on the performance of COVID-19 vaccines in less than perfect conditions.

Dr Annie Kelly, writer and host of a new podcast which tells the story of the smallpox vaccine, talks to #VaccinesWork.

Mnookin’s 2011 investigation of the spread of anti-vax feeling is a pandemic-era must-read.

New data shows the impact COVID-19 is having on routine immunisation programmes worldwide, particularly in lower-income countries. We need action, now, to get routine immunisation programmes back on track and ensure that everyone, everywhere is…

Volunteers, including King Dakolo of the Epetiama kingdom, are sensitising and convincing people to accept the COVID-19 vaccine in Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria.

Rather than translating their own COVID-19 vaccination successes into a renewed global push to end the pandemic, rich countries are becoming complacent while the rest of the world grows increasingly desperate. But the emergence of dangerous new…

#VaccinesWork spoke to nurse Fatmata Kamara* about how the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Sierra Leone is progressing.

How investigation into long COVID will help us create treatments.

Indemnity and liability was one of the thorniest problems COVAX had to solve to successfully roll out COVID-19 vaccines in lower-income countries. The solution is a world first, which could offer a model for future pandemics.

The widespread acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in low- to middle-income countries should boost global coronavirus immunity, if distribution issues can be resolved.

Despite a second lockdown, outreach initiatives ensure continuation of Uganda’s routine child immunisation.

Dr John Nkengasong is a Cameroonian virologist and Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which is working to strengthen the ability of Africa’s public health institutions to detect and respond to disease…

A philosopher of public health ponders whether taking your mask off on July 19 is like punching someone in the face or like riding a bike.

Yoshinobu Nagamine, Senior Donor Manager at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, describes the role contactless biometrics can play in accelerating vaccine delivery for those lacking formal identification.

If people feel a sense of duty to their local community, they're more likely to protect themselves and others by taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 has made local, home-grown production of vaccines a national priority in countries around the world. #VaccinesWork spoke to Professor Martins Emeje at Nigeria’s National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to…

Comparisons with flu are unhelpful – these diseases need to be treated differently.

It may not be high tech, but it works. Kenyan community health volunteers use tracking books to ensure that children receive routine vaccinations.

Some viruses gradually become less virulent over time, but there's no guarantee that SARS-CoV-2 will follow that pattern.

The lambda variant ripped through Peru and is now spreading globally. But there is little evidence that it is more dangerous than the original variant.

COVID-19 is unlikely to be the last coronavirus we ever see. Scientists are already trying to make a one-size-fits-all vaccine to stop a future coronavirus epidemic in its tracks.

A large study suggests the influenza vaccine may reduce the risk of some of the worst consequences of COVID-19.

Community health volunteers collaborated with local structures in the slums to help inhabitants survive lockdown and stop the spread of disease.

If immunity is waning or ineffectual against new variants, then boosters could be needed – but there needs to be evidence that they're necessary.

Vaccine manufacturing doesn't come cheap. It depends heavily on support from developed countries. It also takes much more than relaxing intellectual property rights and a desire for vaccine equity.

Although related to the virus that caused the SARS pandemic in 2003, the COVID-19 virus has never seemed as deadly – until now.

One in three unable to properly wash hands at home during COVID-19 – WHO-UNICEF. Progress on water, sanitation and hygiene ‘must quadruple’ to meet 2030 target. Investment and prioritisation needed ‘at the highest levels’.

Will the pandemic go out with a fizzle or a bang? And what does “living with the virus” actually mean, and when will we get there?

We must seize this opportunity to shape our COVID-19 response as a chance to achieve better equity and social justice. What better way to do that than to focus on zero-dose children?

Early results from several studies have found that pets can pick up COVID-19 from their owner – but they are unlikely to be dangerous as a result.

India’s second wave of COVID-19 has devastated the country through a perfect storm of new variants, low vaccination uptake and a shortage of medical equipment and supplies. Here’s what we need to understand about the ongoing second wave to…

A vaccine that had previously been authorised by the Indian government ahead of phase 3 trials now show promising results. This could add to the global armoury of vaccines against COVID-19.

New mRNA tech transfer hub to be established in South Africa. Facility will provide training and licences for vaccine development. Less than one per cent in Africa have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities, not least those disadvantaging women and girls in low- and middle-income countries. Fortunately, with today’s digital technologies, those providing health information and services for girls…

A rich network of community volunteers in Nairobi are putting skills they developed during anti-polio activities to work tackling COVID-19, and mobilising slum dwellers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

It takes time for coronavirus to become established in the body, so a negative test doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t test positive later on.

The power sources used to keep vaccines cold used to be polluting and unreliable. We spoke to Alex de Jonquieres, Gavi’s Director of Health Systems and Immunisation Strengthening about how Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, became investors in solar…

Fake COVID-19 vaccines erode public trust in much-needed jabs and encourage vaccine hesitancy.

Before 1955, when a vaccine first made polio a preventable illness, the paralysing disease had to be treated. For many, the best option was the iron lung, a device that came to symbolise an era of anxiety in mid-20th century America.

New bioimaging technologies are pushing the boundaries of medicine. But poorer nations risk losing out on these advances. Investment in facilities and training globally is crucial to bridge the divide.

A reanalysis of 58 existing studies suggests that with COVID-19 being male or seriously overweight isn’t as risky as originally thought.

Separated for weeks and months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the arrival of vaccines is allowing people to physically reconnect with friends and family.

We need to make the development and distribution of vaccines a truly global endeavor.

The Delta variant that has caused devastation in countries like India and the UK has now mutated to produce another variant called Delta Plus. Should we be worried?

Guinea declares end of Ebola outbreak after 42 days without new cases. Outbreak resulted in 23 likely cases, 12 deaths since February. Success attributed to community buy-in, capacity building and vaccination.

By identifying people with high levels of neutralising antibodies after a first vaccine dose, rapid tests could potentially identify those who don’t need a booster dose.

This rare side-effect from the two RNA vaccines being rolled out might be concerning but the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.

Two doses have always been more protective than one, but the Delta variant has made the benefit of the second dose much greater.

The Immunization Agenda 2030’s new scorecard visualizes a journey toward pandemic recovery and global immunization progress.

Vaccinated people can still get infected with the coronavirus. So if you have symptoms of COVID-19, getting tested can protect others and help health officials keep an eye on the virus.

Forced to suffer in silence after contracting COVID-19, the arrival of vaccines is helping many Nigerians with a history of the virus overcome stigma and get their lives back on track.

Beginning today, Kenya’s Ministry of Health is beginning a major new measles-rubella vaccination campaign to defend against outbreaks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected turn out for almost all Malawi’s health services, including routine immunisation. One local CSO is using Community Mother Care groups to trace those missing out on vaccines, helping to ensure children are…

For years, a growing number of infections that are resistant to antimicrobials has offered us a grim glimpse into a future with increasingly untreatable diseases. Now, COVID-19 has made antimicrobial resistance so much worse.

A major obstacle for COVID-19 vaccination programs to achieve higher and more equitable vaccine coverage throughout the world is vaccinating hard-to-reach communities.

The forecast is encouraging given the supply disruptions COVAX and countries with bilateral deals are currently experiencing, and the general challenges manufacturers are experiencing as they ramp up supply at historic speed and scale.

Masks, hand washing and physical distancing don’t only reduce the transmission of coronavirus. So, what will happen when we do away with these measures?

During the pandemic, researchers have treated Twitter as a sprawling and evolving historical document.

Mounting evidence suggests people living with HIV may be at greater risk of dying from COVID-19. The good news is that COVID-19 vaccines appear to be safe and effective in people with HIV.

Eswatini received its first batch of 32 000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines in late March. 12 000 came through the COVAX facility and 20,000 through a donation from the Indian Government.

A previous infection does give you some immunity against COVID-19, but a new study suggests that vaccination gives your body a massive boost – including against variants of concern.

What do the CEO of the Vaccine Alliance and the star of a hit US TV show have in common? They both want to raise awareness about COVID-19 vaccines and COVAX’s role in getting the world vaccinated.

Mary Mallon was branded a public menace and incarcerated after typhoid outbreaks across New York City were linked to her presence in the kitchen. Was she unfairly demonised?

Wondering what you can do to help end the acute phase of the pandemic? Go Give One – is giving everyone everywhere a chance to play their part.

Mastercard, a long-standing partner of Gavi, recently committed US$ 28 million to the Gavi COVAX AMC, to ensure vaccines are accessible to those that needed them the most, no matter where they live. Vaccines Work spoke to Michael Froman to learn…

The pandemic turned our normal ways of working upside down, but there are several ways in which the new normal could bring improvements in the way we fight disease.

Antibody therapy reduces COVID-19 fatalities by a fifth, but remains inaccessible to many countries.

People who are afraid of needles are twice as likely to be vaccine hesitant, new research shows.

There are now 17 COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use, but as the virus continues to evolve, here is why we can’t pull the plug on research into new vaccines and therapeutics.

Although the coronavirus doesn’t cause disease and death in children as much as it does in adults, many children around the world are vulnerable to the collateral damage wreaked by the pandemic.

A new paper suggests that plant- and fish-based diets lessen the chance of developing severe symptoms – but hold off from becoming vegetarian or pescatarian for now.

The Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of SARS CoV-2 was first detected in India and is rapidly spreading around the world. Here’s what we know about it so far.

COVID-19 virus particles can be spread via coughing, sneezing, breathing or speech, but the latter is one of the most effective ways of spreading. Here is why talking without a mask indoors could be one of the easiest ways to spread the infection…

Amidst the challenges that COVID-19 has brought, flooding in Kenya has made it even harder for the people of Kisumu County.

Is it risky or wise to delay the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine? Critics warned against the UK government policy of leaving a longer gap between doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines. Now we have more data, so what do we…

Some of the world’s wealthiest countries nations have already committed to share doses with lower-income countries through COVAX: as G7 leaders meet this week, other governments must follow suit and share their doses now, because we only have a…

Ever since the pandemic started there have been news headlines speculating about the effect of the vaccines on our reproductive system, but what does the science tell us?

Accounts of previous epidemics – by Samuel Pepys, Daniel Defoe and Katherine Porter – warn of mistakes that we risk repeating.

After a devastating typhoid outbreak swept through Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, a new, more effective vaccine is bringing hope.

It’s been over a year now since the pandemic first started, and now that vaccines are rolling out in many countries, how long do we have to wait for things to go back to ‘normal’?

We remain locked in a deadly race with the virus. We will only win when we have created a “variant-proof” world that can keep a lid on the havoc caused by its troublesome mutations.

Amid the 28.4 million cases and over 300 thousand deaths from SARS-CoV-2, a second epidemic has hit India. ‘Black fungus’, clinically known as mucormycosis, is an infection currently affecting nearly 12,000 immunocompromised patients recovering…

While we don't know exactly what causes it yet, there are a few theories put forward by a few researchers around the world.

Rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 are less sensitive than PCR tests, but here we explain why you should never ignore a positive result.

Researchers think they've calculated the limit of human lifespan – but there's more to it.

For those who migrate within Ondo State, Nigeria, access to immunisation has been complicated by the shift in focus to COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines were made in record speed, taking around 300 days from the moment the threat was first identified. But the world’s top scientists are aiming to overtake this world record in the next pandemic, aiming to make a vaccine in 100…

Various countries are training dogs to detect coronavirus, and the results of early clinical trials are looking promising. 

Non-specific illnesses, such as headache and fatigue, are common, as are mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Marginalized people suffer from being at the intersection of multiple challenges and barriers. Economic hardship has been a secondary epidemic in the LGBTIQ community. We need public health and support services that acknowledge difference.

The death toll from the pandemic has been devastatingly high, with the official figure standing at 3.5 million people, but the World Health Organization estimates the real number could be up to three times higher. Here’s why.

A significant number of post-covid patients suffer from syndromes that few doctors understand.

Our immune system is controlled by our "body clock" – an intricate 24-hour system which controls how cells function.

Social media has been much-maligned as a source of misinformation when it comes to vaccines. But for millions of Nigerians it is having the opposite effect, encouraging them to get their jabs.

Calling variants by their country of origin has politicised the pandemic response, leading to countries being blamed and people originating from those countries stigmatised and targeted – sometimes violently. Now, the World Health Organization is…

Worldwide more than 3.5 million people have died of COVID-19 so far; now millions more are on the brink of starvation because of a connected hunger crisis.

As more people get vaccinated, and testing requirements are becoming commonplace to allow freedom to travel and work, we look at the circumstances under which you could test positive for COVID-19 even after being vaccinated.

In the COVAX Advance Market Commitment Summit, hosted by Japan, countries and industry came together to pledge support to the mission of making vaccines available equitably worldwide.

The Gavi COVAX AMC Summit “One World Protected” virtual event, hosted today by the Government of Japan and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, raised US$ 2.4 billion from nearly 40 donor governments, the private sector and foundations, exceeding the…

Further infections are not inevitable, if you take the following steps.

Several regulators have agreed the mRNA vaccine can be kept refrigerated for up to 30 days, making it easier to distribute in lower-resource settings.

Whether or not you can become reinfected with COVID-19 hasn’t been clear so far, but a new study from Denmark indicates that immune response triggered by the first infection offers good protection.

Some COVID-19 tests require you to swab your own tonsils, but could you be mistaking them for something else?

People who have had COVID-19 seem to have bone marrow cells that could produce antibodies for years to come, which could mean that immunity both from natural infection and vaccination is long lasting.

With millions of COVID-19 vaccines now being delivered around the world, they are utilising a huge hidden infrastructure, built up over decades and spreading across the globe, with one ultimate goal: keeping the vaccines cool. How did these …

New waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in countries, such as Kenya and India, have exposed the poor management of oxygen supplies. Moina Spooner, from The Conversation Africa, asked Professor Trevor Duke, an expert on [oxygen provision] and editor of…