Vaccines and global health

Abstract

Vaccines have made a major contribution to global health in recent decades but they could do much more. In November 2011, a Royal Society discussion meeting, ‘New vaccines for global health’, was held in London to discuss the past contribution of vaccines to global health and to consider what more could be expected in the future. Papers presented at the meeting reviewed recent successes in the deployment of vaccines against major infections of childhood and the challenges faced in developing vaccines against some of the world's remaining major infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria and tuberculosis. The important contribution that development of more effective veterinary vaccines could make to global health was also addressed. Some of the social and financial challenges to the development and deployment of new vaccines were reviewed. The latter issues were also discussed at a subsequent satellite meeting, ‘Accelerating vaccine development’, held at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre. Delegates at this meeting considered challenges to the more rapid development and deployment of both human and veterinary vaccines and how these might be addressed. Papers based on presentations at the discussion meeting and a summary of the main conclusions of the satellite meeting are included in this issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.

Access to new technologies in multipatented vaccines: challenges for Brazil

“…The malaria vaccine candidate RTS provides a good example of the crucial part new adjuvants can play. This vaccine, based on the Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite antigen circumsporozoite protein, was successful in providing protection against clinical malaria only when combined with a powerful adjuvant (AS02 or AS01) 6,7 . Other examples include the tests using hybrid flagellins in malaria vaccines.…”

“…The incorporation of new adjuvants to boost immune responses is becoming crucial to the development of innovative vaccines, as new antigens with purer and smaller molecules may not elicit the immune responses necessary for made at the genetic level, rather than at the protein level, in a quick and efficient process and in only a few years 6,7 . It is estimated that by 2030, owing to factors related to vaccine innovation, availability and prices-including patentsthe required global expenditure for vaccines in routine program use could increase to $20 billion a year 7 .…”

“…Adjuvants have emerged as an alternative route for vaccine development and are an instrumental technology for new vaccines, with enormous potential in the global market 6,7 . The development of powerful and safe adjuvants is therefore a key component of vaccine research ( Table 2 lists several important licensed vaccine adjuvants).…”

Carbohydrate-Based Ice Recrystallization Inhibitors Increase Infectivity and Thermostability of Viral Vectors

“…The World Health Organization has mandated that, in order for a vaccine to be considered “effective”, less than 1 Log 10 decrease in the original titer is tolerated56. Several approaches like biomineralization, addition of silk or albumin have been applied but unfortunately they often have multi-step preparation protocols or cause unwanted immune responses34578910111213. Consequently, novel methods for the preservation of vaccines are urgently required.…”

An interdisciplinary analysis of genetically modified vaccines: from clinical trials to market

“…1,2 Vaccination endeavours have resulted in successful accomplishments, including eradication of smallpox and 99% decrease in polio incidence. 3 In addition to eradication of some communicable diseases, inter alia, a significant reduction of communicable diseases and a further annual prevention of an estimated 6 million deaths worldwide has been realized.…”