2026 Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research Highlights
With vaccine confidence top of mind for many infectious disease experts, the 2026 Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research, hosted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), covered implementation and communication challenges as well as the latest in vaccine science. Oral abstract sessions included research on vaccination coverage gaps and uptake barriers, conjugate vaccine design, maternal vaccination, and updates on vaccines for COVID-19, hepatitis B, HPV, influenza, pertussis, polio, RSV, zoster, and more.
Reframing The Message
The virtual conference on June 15-17, 2026, began with a keynote on The Future of Vaccinology: Navigating Science, Policy, and Public Trust from a podcaster who tackles vaccine hesitancy head on. Brinda Adhikari, co-creator and co-host of the ‘Why Should I Trust You?’ podcast, said that after hundreds of hours of conversations between scientists and skeptics, the key takeaway is that human connection and empathy are more effective than facts for changing minds. In a conversation with moderator and NFID Director Orin S. Levine, PhD, of the Washington Research Foundation, Adhikari said her podcast, which features multiple perspectives from experts and members of the public, often don’t dive right into the difficult parts. They start by sharing a bit about who they are and where they come from. These conversations turn up nuggets of common connection that can form a foundation on which to build trust. When the discussion turns to controversy, people are more willing to listen to each other when they feel they have something in common, she said.
How we frame our messages about vaccines affects how receptive people are to them, according to Katy Evans, PhD, of FrameWorks Institute. At a symposium on Building Trust in Vaccines: Safety, Science, and Communication, she advised against using military metaphors – describing viruses as invaders and vaccines as shields or weapons. That framing can give the impression that the aim of a vaccine is to keep viruses out of the body entirely, rather than protecting against severe disease, she said. A better framing is to talk about how the immune system learns from vaccines. Helpful metaphors include teaching the body how to read so it understands what a virus is (useful for parents with young children) or describing vaccines as updating our computer antivirus software to keep it running at its best. When your computer is protected, that also helps keep the whole network safe, she added.
There is not much research on what works to change people’s minds after they’ve lost faith in vaccines, according to Jen Bordenick, MA, DrPH(c), at the Center for Unbiased Science and Health. Her organization is working to change that. They have identified 7 personality types of vaccine-hesitant people and have identified different messaging that is more effective for each. Some are more resistant than others, she added. At one end of the spectrum, the postponer might just need a nudge to get to the doctor’s office or pharmacy. At the other end, the conspiratorial thinker may be too entrenched to move. Bordenick says it’s rarely one moment that changes minds. More often, a seed of doubt is planted that grows over a long period of time. That can be frustrating for people in public health who expect the facts to be convincing on their own. Bordenick’s advice is to change your expectations. While it’s unlikely that a single conversation will make the difference, a set of meaningful conversations over time might. So, keep lines of communication open, she said, and communicate with empathy and without judgement.
New Frontiers in Vaccine Science
The Building Trust symposium, moderated by Bruce G. Gellin, MD, MPH, of Georgetown University School of Medicine, also featured talks on the science of vaccine safety. Jim P. Buttery, MD, of the University of Melbourne, described how he and colleagues developed an AI platform to look for safety signals about possible adverse events by searching vaccine surveillance systems and social media. The system identified menstrual problems as a possible side effect of COVID-19 vaccination before other mechanisms did. Elyse O. Kharbanda, MD, MPH, of Health Partners Institute discussed lessons from more than 15 years of post-approval maternal vaccine safety research.
A symposium on Innovating Immunization: New Platforms, New Possibilities, moderated by NFID President-Elect Monica M. Farley, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine, highlighted scientific advances designed to broaden protection, optimize performance, and address evolving public health needs.
For the past 2 centuries, vaccines have targeted a specific pathogen. But Stanford University School of Medicine immunologist Bali Pulendran, PhD, and colleagues are aiming to develop universal vaccines that could protect against multiple threats. His talk described his lab’s research on activating the innate immune system, including developing an intranasal vaccine that, in preclinical mouse studies, provided protection against several viruses and bacteria that lasted for several months.
University of Washington research scientist Mark D. Langowski, PhD, and colleagues used AI to design a new antigen for a malaria vaccine. The new protein is based on the antigen in another malaria vaccine in clinical trials. That vaccine targets the blood stage of the disease, which causes fever and chills and can lead to life-threatening organ failure. The new protein is more thermostable and cheaper to produce than the antigen in that vaccine. It was also more potent in preclinical studies in rats.
Ken J. Ishii, MD, PhD, immunology professor at the University of Tokyo, described studies he and his colleagues performed on more than 20 adjuvants to create a database of responses in systems throughout the body. The adjuvants were tested in 2 mouse models to generate toxicity information that can be used to guide vaccine development.
A symposium on What’s Next: Vaccines on the Horizon, moderated by Phyllis A. Arthur, MBA, described candidate vaccines targeting norovirus, malaria, pneumococcal disease, and COVID-19. Melkit Workneh, MD, MPH, of Moderna presented research on an investigational mRNA vaccine for norovirus. Stephen L. Hoffman, MD, DTMH, of Sanaria Inc. described the company’s research on a genetically attenuated whole parasite vaccine to protect pregnant women and their children from malaria. Trisha Novy, PhD, of Vaxcyte presented research on the company’s new 31-valent pneumococcal vaccine, currently in phase 3 clinical trials. Sean Tucker, PhD, of Vaxart described work on a vaccine delivered in a room-temperature-stable tablet that aims to both lower the risk of serious illness and reduce transmission of COVID-19. Arthur described the vaccine development ecosystem and the multiple steps and investment required to bring new vaccines to market.
Participants who registered for the Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research will have online access to presentations until August 31, 2026. To join the conversation and get the latest news on infectious diseases, including future educational programs:
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- Listen and subscribe to the Infectious IDeas podcast
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