Vaccines aren’t just for preventing the flu or COVID anymore. Thanks to major scientific breakthroughs, we’re now looking at a future where vaccines could help protect us from diseases like cancer, heart disease, and even some autoimmune conditions.
According to Moderna, the company behind one of the leading COVID-19 vaccines, we could start seeing these next-generation vaccines in just a few years — possibly by 2030.
A Vaccine Revolution Sparked by COVID
The race to develop a COVID vaccine changed everything. What used to take a decade to research and develop was suddenly fast-tracked to a matter of months. Scientists now say that this lightning-speed progress has opened the door to tackling diseases we once thought were untouchable.
Dr. Paul Burton, Moderna’s chief medical officer, says his team is working on vaccines that will:
- Fight off multiple respiratory infections (like COVID, flu, and RSV) in a single shot
- Help people with rare diseases where no treatment currently exists
- Offer personalized vaccines that train your immune system to fight your specific type of cancer
These vaccines are based on mRNA — the same technology used in many COVID shots. It works by teaching your body how to build a protein that triggers an immune response, without using the actual virus.
Personalized Cancer Vaccines: How They Work
Cancer vaccines aren’t like traditional vaccines that prevent illness. These are designed for people who already have cancer. Scientists first take a sample of the tumor and analyze it to find unique mutations. Then, they create a custom mRNA vaccine that shows the immune system how to recognize and destroy the cancer cells — without harming the healthy ones.
It’s like giving your body a cheat sheet for what to attack.
Moderna's personalized cancer vaccine has already shown promising results for patients with skin cancer, and the FDA has fast-tracked it for review.
One Shot, Multiple Protections
Imagine getting one injection that protects you from COVID, the flu, and RSV — a serious respiratory infection common in older adults. Moderna says that’s the goal with one of their new combination shots. Early studies show it could be over 80% effective for RSV.
What’s Next?
Big pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Novavax are also jumping in. Pfizer is testing an mRNA flu vaccine and exploring other diseases like shingles. Novavax is improving protein-based vaccines, another promising approach.
But there’s a catch: all of this progress needs money. Scientists worry that if global attention and funding shift away from vaccine development — especially with other crises on the horizon — we might lose the incredible momentum built during the pandemic.
Experts like Dr. Richard Hackett from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Prof. Andrew Pollard from the Oxford Vaccine Group are urging governments to keep investing in this research, comparing its importance to national defense.
After all, pandemics are guaranteed to happen again. And vaccines, as we’ve learned, can save millions of lives when we’re prepared.
Source: https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Granted-…
Comments