News Animals

Honeybees and shrimp are now getting vaccinated

Vaccines that target invertebrates’ innate immune systems could be a major boon for agriculture

A close-up of a hand holding a transluscent live shrimp

A potential vaccine for shrimp helps protect against early mortality syndrome and white spot syndrome.

peerawat444/iStock/Getty Images Plus

By Lily Burton

People get vaccinated. Cats and dogs get vaccinated. Cows, fish and even koalas get vaccinated. In a shift in how researchers think about immune protection, invertebrates are now getting vaccinated, too.

The first vaccine for honeybees was given conditional approval by the U.S.