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Johns Hopkins

Center for Immunization Research (CIR)

Leaders in vaccine development, research and education since 1985.

Welcome to the Center for Immunization Research

CIR was founded to facilitate the development of new vaccines against infectious diseases of global importance. Here you can find the latest evidence-based updates about vaccines, learn about clinical studies, read journal articles by our infectious disease experts, and more. 

Project SAVE

Join a clinical study

Project SAVE (Support a Vaccine Effort) is the adult recruitment program at the Center for Immunization Research.  The program is used to screen adult potential study participants to help determine their eligibility for specific clinical vaccine studies at the CIR. 



 

New and Noteworthy

Phase 3 Study Results for Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine Published in NEJM

Study results for a phase 3 trial titled: "Live, Attenuated, Tetravalent Butantan-Dengue Vaccine in Children and Adults" were published on February 1, 2024 in the New England Journal of Medicine. CIR's Team FIRE conducted more than 30 trials for the development of the Butantan Dengue Vaccine (Butantan-DV) used in this study.  The study was conducted at 16 sites in Brazil and showed that Butantan-DV prevented symptomatic dengue virus 1 and dengue virus 2 through 2 years of follow up.

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Scientists deliberately gave women Zika — here’s why

Findings from a challenge study conducted by CIR's Team FIRE indicate that the two strains of Zika administered in the trial can be safely and effectively used to infect participants in a Zika vaccine trial.

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How Human Challenge Trials Accelerate Vaccine Development

Vaccinated, intentionally infected, and sequestered in a hospital unit, volunteers help researchers fast-track promising vaccine candidates.

canva vaccines syringe and virus molecule

COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved 2.4 million lives, according to health economists

A working paper by researchers from the University of Southern California and Brown University analyzed the global impacts of COVID-19 vaccines.

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FDA Approves First Vaccine to Prevent Disease Caused by Chikungunya Virus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ixchiq, the first chikungunya vaccine. Ixchiq is approved for individuals 18 years of age and older who are at increased risk of exposure to chikungunya virus.

Meet our Faculty

Our dedicated faculty members work together to carry out CIR’s mission by applying public health expertise to their individual infectious diseases areas of interest.  Learn more about their important work on the BSPH faculty pages.


 

Anna Durbin
Professor
International Health

Anna Durbin, MD, studies experimental vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, dengue, West Nile, Zika, malaria, and more in human clinical trials and in controlled human infection studies.

Support our Research

Your financial gift can both support our important immunization research and help us combat misinformation about vaccines