Since the use of the cowpox vaccine to prevent smallpox almost 200 years ago, vaccines have proved to be one of medicine’s greatest discoveries. There are currently about 25 vaccines given to prevent or minimize disease caused by infectious agents, and the potential exists for new vaccines to be developed against a wide range of human pathogens. There are major challenges for policy makers around the world in selecting appropriate vaccines and schedules and in securing resources for the vaccination programmes. Vaccination & World Health is the fourth of a series of annual public health forums organized by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. It summarizes the current state of the art in vaccination policy and aims to:
- Describe the progress in vaccination programmes worldwide and prospects for developing new vaccines
- Clarify issues relevant to selecting priorities for vaccination programmes
- Identify activities which will enable countries to: obtain reliable information on which to base vaccination policies; ensure a reliable and high quality supply of current vaccines; have access to potential new vaccines; and use resources in the most sustainable manner
