In an interview, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited gaps in vaccine safety research. His critics say he is ignoring a larger point: Vaccines save lives.

In an interview, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited gaps in vaccine safety research. His critics say he is ignoring a larger point: Vaccines save lives.

The vaccine will be trialled in patients recently diagnosed with MS

A new study from South Korea is being touted on social media as proof that COVID vaccines cause cancer. The people saying this either haven't read the paper or don't know how to critically analyze it. Get in touch over email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DrWilsonDebu

In the spring of 2025, multiple SARS-CoV-2 Omicron JN.1 subvariants were circulating, with LP.8.1 among the major variants. Pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax/Takeda adopted monovalent LP.8.1 for their 2025-2026 season vaccines, following recommendations issued by the WHO in May 2025. As of November 2025, SARS-CoV-2 variants including LP.8.1, XEC, NB.1.8.1, and XFG, all designated as variants under monitoring, were circulating. In terms of the spike gene, these recent variants as well as LP.8.1 are derived from JN.1. Moreover, BA.3.2, a BA.3 descendant with multiple mutations in the spike gene, has recently emerged and exhibits robust immune evasion. In Japan, the rollout of the LP.8.1-based vaccination has progressed since the end of September 2025. We previously reported the humoral immunity induced by the XBB.1.5-based monovalent vaccine in 2023 and the JN.1-based monovalent vaccine in 2024 in the Japanese population. Here, we investigated the efficiency of humoral immunity induced by two LP.8.1-based vaccines, the mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech and the recombinant protein-based vaccine from Novavax/Takeda, in Japan. We performed neutralization assays using sera obtained from individuals who received the LP.8.1 mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech (N=29) or the LP.8.1 recombinant protein vaccine from Novavax/Takeda (N=20) with pseudoviruses harboring spike proteins of B.1.1, BA.5, XBB.1.5, JN.1, LP.8.1, XEC, NB.1.8.1, XFG and BA.3.2. In both mRNA and protein-based vaccinee groups, the change in 50% neutralizing titer (NT50) against variants that were predominant before JN.1 (i.e., B.1.1, BA.5 and XBB.1.5) were smaller than those against JN.1 and its subvariants, including LP.8.1, XEC, NB.1.8.1 and XFG. Consistent with recent studies, neutralizing antibodies against BA.3.2 were induced by both vaccines. However, the induction fold change of BA.3.2 was smaller than those of JN.1 and its subvariants. Next, we tested humoral immune response of participants who received both JN.1-based vaccine in 2024 and LP.8.1-based vaccine in 2025 (N=15). Approximately a year after the JN.1-based vaccination, neutralization titer has waned against all variants tested. However, when we compare the NT50s of pre-vaccination sera between 2025 and 2024, those in 2025 against all variants except for B.1.1 were significantly higher than those last year. This suggests that the cross-neutralizing antibodies induced by JN.1-based vaccination were still maintained for a year. Furthermore, the neutralization abilities against the JN.1 sublineages tested and BA.3.2 were significantly reboosted after the LP.8.1-based vaccination. Our study shows immune boosting by the LP.8.1-based vaccine is effective in achieving cross-neutralization against a broad range of JN.1 sublineages in a JN.1-naive population and in recalling waning humoral immunity against these subvariants. ### Competing Interest Statement N.I. has received lecture fees outside of the submitted work from Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, AstraZeneca K.K., bioMerieux Japan Ltd., BD Co., Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Pfizer, Shionogi Co., Ltd., and Shimadzu Corporation. N.I. has also received research funding from Shimadzu Corporation. J.I. has consulting fees and honoraria for lectures from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd and AstraZeneca. K.S. has consulting fees from Moderna Japan Co., Ltd. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and honoraria for lectures from Gilead Sciences, Inc., Moderna Japan Co., Ltd., and Shionogi & Co., Ltd. The other authors declare no competing interests. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed. AMED, 25jf0126002

A new study from South Korea is being touted on social media as proof that COVID vaccines cause cancer. The people saying this either haven't read the paper or don't know how to critically analyze it. Get in touch over email: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DrWilsonDebu

In the spring of 2025, multiple SARS-CoV-2 Omicron JN.1 subvariants were circulating, with LP.8.1 among the major variants. Pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax/Takeda adopted monovalent LP.8.1 for their 2025-2026 season vaccines, following recommendations issued by the WHO in May 2025. As of November 2025, SARS-CoV-2 variants including LP.8.1, XEC, NB.1.8.1, and XFG, all designated as variants under monitoring, were circulating. In terms of the spike gene, these recent variants as well as LP.8.1 are derived from JN.1. Moreover, BA.3.2, a BA.3 descendant with multiple mutations in the spike gene, has recently emerged and exhibits robust immune evasion. In Japan, the rollout of the LP.8.1-based vaccination has progressed since the end of September 2025. We previously reported the humoral immunity induced by the XBB.1.5-based monovalent vaccine in 2023 and the JN.1-based monovalent vaccine in 2024 in the Japanese population. Here, we investigated the efficiency of humoral immunity induced by two LP.8.1-based vaccines, the mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech and the recombinant protein-based vaccine from Novavax/Takeda, in Japan. We performed neutralization assays using sera obtained from individuals who received the LP.8.1 mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech (N=29) or the LP.8.1 recombinant protein vaccine from Novavax/Takeda (N=20) with pseudoviruses harboring spike proteins of B.1.1, BA.5, XBB.1.5, JN.1, LP.8.1, XEC, NB.1.8.1, XFG and BA.3.2. In both mRNA and protein-based vaccinee groups, the change in 50% neutralizing titer (NT50) against variants that were predominant before JN.1 (i.e., B.1.1, BA.5 and XBB.1.5) were smaller than those against JN.1 and its subvariants, including LP.8.1, XEC, NB.1.8.1 and XFG. Consistent with recent studies, neutralizing antibodies against BA.3.2 were induced by both vaccines. However, the induction fold change of BA.3.2 was smaller than those of JN.1 and its subvariants. Next, we tested humoral immune response of participants who received both JN.1-based vaccine in 2024 and LP.8.1-based vaccine in 2025 (N=15). Approximately a year after the JN.1-based vaccination, neutralization titer has waned against all variants tested. However, when we compare the NT50s of pre-vaccination sera between 2025 and 2024, those in 2025 against all variants except for B.1.1 were significantly higher than those last year. This suggests that the cross-neutralizing antibodies induced by JN.1-based vaccination were still maintained for a year. Furthermore, the neutralization abilities against the JN.1 sublineages tested and BA.3.2 were significantly reboosted after the LP.8.1-based vaccination. Our study shows immune boosting by the LP.8.1-based vaccine is effective in achieving cross-neutralization against a broad range of JN.1 sublineages in a JN.1-naive population and in recalling waning humoral immunity against these subvariants. ### Competing Interest Statement N.I. has received lecture fees outside of the submitted work from Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, AstraZeneca K.K., bioMerieux Japan Ltd., BD Co., Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Pfizer, Shionogi Co., Ltd., and Shimadzu Corporation. N.I. has also received research funding from Shimadzu Corporation. J.I. has consulting fees and honoraria for lectures from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd and AstraZeneca. K.S. has consulting fees from Moderna Japan Co., Ltd. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and honoraria for lectures from Gilead Sciences, Inc., Moderna Japan Co., Ltd., and Shionogi & Co., Ltd. The other authors declare no competing interests. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed. AMED, 25jf0126002

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The vaccine will be trialled in patients recently diagnosed with MS