Discover how scientists developed a COVID-19 vaccine in record time using mRNA technology, leading to improved public health and more research on other diseases.

R obert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was grilled by Democratic senators during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, who confronted him with conspiratorial and conflicting statements he has made about COVID-19.

RFK Jr. is a high-profile face of vaccine hesitancy, but people's vaccine concerns fall on a much broader spectrum.

“Although individual vaccines have been developed and approved for use in humans against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses, there is no vaccine approved to simultaneously protect against both viral diseases, which continue to impact public health globally,” reads the new paper.

While vaccine hesitancy is often used as a broad term, it encompasses a spectrum of perspectives, ranging from mild wariness to strong opposition, according to Jonathan Kantor, MD, a physician researcher affiliated with the Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania and University of Oxford in England.

It’s been almost four years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first Covid-19 vaccine. Emphasis has been given to get the jab as it can help to protect you against developing severe Covid-19 disease and dying from the respiratory illness.

Dr. Matthew Memoli, a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases researcher focused on flu and other respiratory viruses, has been named acting director of the nearly $50 billion agency.

Citing unverified data, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed in December 2021 that the Covid-19 vaccine was the “deadliest vaccine ever made.” A few months prior, he petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to rescind authorization of the Covid-19 shots.

The CDC ACIP recommends 2 doses of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine for those age 65+ years and 2 or more doses for immunocompromised individuals.

The mRNA-1273.815 vaccine provided significant protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations and medically attended COVID-19 among US adults.

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reports that in the week of Jan. 18, there were 168 flu cases and 51 COVID-19 cases that were lab-confirmed and do not include at-home test kits.