Based on the rapid spread of the measles outbreak, researchers believe that vaccination rates could be as low as 50 percent in some areas, Lisa Rapaport reports for Reuters. That rate “is far below the level necessary to achieve herd immunity,” explains graduate student Maimuna Majumder.
Joseph Flaherty of Wired writes about “Flowers,” a print created by postdoctoral fellow Tal Danino and MIT visiting artist Vik Muniz to educate people about the importance of vaccinations. Danino hopes to be able to apply the technique developed for creating the print, which contains real cancer and virus cells, to control the behaviors of specific cells and bacteria.
David Pogue of the PBS show NOVA examines Professor Paula Hammond’s work developing a new type of vaccine that delivers a DNA patch via tiny microscopic needles. Using DNA as the vaccine is a “very unique but also very powerful” approach, Hammond explains.