PVP at Boston Children's awarded $1 million to extend research into adjuvant-based vaccines For a vaccine to be most effective, sometimes nature needs a little 'extra' something. That something is often an adjuvant -- small molecules added to a vaccine that boost the body's immune response. For years, the Precision Vaccine Program (PVP) at Boston Children's Hospital has been a leader in adjuvant discovery and developing new ways to study how human cells respond to vaccination outside of the body, known as in vitro testing. In order to advance this work, the PVP was awarded with a $1 million, two-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to extend its research into adjuvant-based vaccines. The grant provides funds for PVP to assess between six to eight adjuvants currently managed by the Vaccine Formulation Institute (VFI).