A more than 15-year collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine and Houston Zoo led to a breakthrough in the fight against one of the deadliest diseases in young Asian elephants. Two papers published in July are the first peer-reviewed evidence of the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccine for elephants against elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). The first study looked at a multi-antigen mRNA vaccine in nine Asian elephants at five institutions, including Houston Zoo. How the vaccine worksHouston Zoo Asian elephant Tess was the first of her species to ever receive the experimental EEHV mRNA vaccine. By the end of the year, Ling says, 22 Asian elephants will be vaccinated at nine different U.S. institutions.