Fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine succeeds in first human trial
Phase 1 results show SPVX02 remains effective after two years at 30°C, with no serious side effects
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine succeeds in first human trial
Photograph: Medical Xpress (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The phase 1 trial of SPVX02, a fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, enrolled 60 healthy adults in the UK.
- All participants achieved protective antibody levels against tetanus and diphtheria by day 28, with no vaccine-related serious adverse events reported.
- The vaccine remained stable and fully potent after storage at up to 30°C for at least two years, according to the study published in *eClinicalMedicine*.
- A phase 2b trial is now underway to further assess the vaccine in a larger group of participants.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 4 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 7 of the 11 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
86/100
Craft
80/100
Hype
18/100
11 sources · methodology
A tetanus-diphtheria vaccine that does not require refrigeration has shown promising results in its first human trial. The vaccine, SPVX02, was developed by UK-based biotech company Stablepharma using its StablevaX technology. It is a reformulated version of a licensed vaccine, designed to remain stable at temperatures up to 30°C for at least two years.
The phase 1 trial, led by the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, enrolled 60 healthy adults. By day 28 after vaccination, all participants who received SPVX02 achieved protective antibody levels against both tetanus and diphtheria. The study, published in *eClinicalMedicine*, reported no vaccine-related serious adverse events. The vaccine also remained stable after three cycles of extreme temperature fluctuations between -20°C and +40°C.
The World Health Organization has previously stated that a significant portion of vaccines are wasted globally each year due to temperature changes during storage and transport. The trial’s findings suggest that fridge-free vaccines could reduce this waste and improve access in remote or conflict-affected regions where maintaining a cold chain is difficult.
What the coverage left out
No left- or right-rated outlet ran this story. The omission is a finding: the story was covered exclusively by centre-rated and unrated outlets. None of the digests or reports specified the exact percentage of vaccines wasted globally, though the World Health Organization’s estimate was referenced in the full reports from Medical Xpress and EIN Presswire.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 110 times, most recently on 8 Aug 2026, 00:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Centre
4 rated outlets
- The three centre-rated reports, Medical Xpress, *The BMJ*, and BBC News, led on the vaccine’s potential to address cold-chain failures and improve global access. Medical Xpress quoted Professor Saul Faust, who led the trial, saying the vaccine could "transform the way vaccines are stored and delivered around the world" if larger studies confirm the findings. *The BMJ* described the development as a potential "game changer" for global health, particularly in resource-poor settings.
- BBC News focused on the broader implications, framing the trial as a solution to vaccine wastage. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the specific percentage of vaccines wasted globally, though Medical Xpress and *The BMJ* referenced the issue in general terms. All three reports highlighted the vaccine’s stability at 30°C and its potential to reduce reliance on refrigeration.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Read it at the source
11 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Centre
4- Vaccines that Don't Require Refrigeration: an Innovation that Could Reduce the Waste of Half of All Vaccines Globally (opens cedarnews.net in a new tab)
cedarnews.net — is cedarnews.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine shows promise of reaching millions worldwide (opens Medical Xpress in a new tab)
Medical Xpress
- “Fridge-free” vaccine for tetanus-diphtheria shows promise in first human trial (opens The BMJ in a new tab)
- Half of vaccines are binned - this plant could change that (opens BBC News in a new tab)
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
7- Successful Trials of Fridge-Free Vaccines To Boost Global Distribution (opens European Medical Journal in a new tab)
European Medical Journal
- Fridge-free vaccine shows promise for reaching millions more people worldwide (opens nihr.ac.uk in a new tab)
nihr.ac.uk
- Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of SPVX02, a room temperature-stabilised tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, compared to two established tetanus-diphtheria booster vaccines: a multicentre, single-blind, randomised, first-in-human phase 1 trial in the UK (opens The Lancet in a new tab)
The Lancet
- Fridge-free vaccine trial shows ‘encouraging results’ (opens nursinginpractice.com in a new tab)
nursinginpractice.com
- Fridge-free vaccine shows promise for reaching millions more people worldwide (opens uhs.nhs.uk in a new tab)
uhs.nhs.uk
- Phase 1 results from ‘fridge-free’ tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (opens Science Media Centre in a new tab)
Science Media Centre — is Science Media Centre biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine Publishes Phase I Data for SPVX02, a Fridge-free Td Vaccine Stable for 24 Months at 30°C (opens EIN Presswire in a new tab)
EIN Presswire
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