Vaccines help protect people from diseases. They contain "weakened" or "dead" germs, such as viruses or bacteria, which stimulate the body's immune system in a manner that can prevent us from getting sick with harmful pathogens. Here's the latest science news on vaccines.Vaccines
Latest about vaccines
Thimerosal carries no health risks and is almost never used anyway. So why are anti-vaxxers obsessed with it?
Opinion There's no solid evidence that thimerosal harms children. It was removed from almost all vaccines more than 20 years ago out of an abundance of caution, but RFK Jr.'s hand-picked vaccine advisory committee is looking into it.
The WHO penned the world's first pandemic agreement — but the US isn't signing
Opinion The U.S. withdrew from treaty negotiations on President Trump's first day in office.
Whooping cough is surging. Here's what you can do to protect yourself.
Rates of the bacterial infection have gone up by 500% since last year, with babies and young children most at risk.
'Vaccine rejection is as old as vaccines themselves': Science historian Thomas Levenson on the history of germ theory and its deniers
Interview Live Science spoke with author Thomas Levenson about his new book on the history of germ theory.
Nearly 3 million extra deaths by 2030 could result from HIV funding cuts, study suggests
A modeling study looked at how anticipated cuts to international HIV funding would affect the rate of new cases and HIV-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries.
What are mRNA vaccines, and how do they work?
mRNA vaccines train the immune system in a similar way to traditional vaccines, but they use a different strategy to get there.
When will the US measles outbreak end?
A public health official in Texas recently warned that the state's ongoing measles outbreak could last a year. Why are cases expected to keep rising?
What are cancer vaccines?
Cancer vaccines harness the power of the immune system to stop tumors in their tracks. They work a little differently than regular vaccines intended to prevent infectious diseases, like measles or the flu.
