Here are the latest news updates on vaccines:

• President Trump signed an executive order on February 14, 2025, seeking to strip federal funding from schools that require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The order applies to students but not to teachers or staff15.

• The CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-2025 season. The new vaccines are designed to target the JN.1 lineage of the Omicron variant23.

• For adults 65 years and older, the CDC recommends getting 2 doses of any 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, ideally 6 months apart. This is to ensure stronger protection for this age group3.

• A recent study found that COVID-19 vaccines were effective in reducing the risk of heart failure by up to 55% and blood clots by up to 78% following COVID infection1.

• Moderna's combination flu and COVID vaccine has shown promising results in providing a strong immune response in older adults during late-stage trials1.

• New mRNA vaccine technologies are being developed for other diseases. Recent research includes an mRNA vaccine created to prevent and treat C. difficile infections and another designed to fight malignant brain tumors4.

These updates reflect the ongoing developments in vaccine research, policy, and public health recommendations as of February 2025.