title: Vaccines: quantities, production and costs.
abstract: At a birth rate of about 150 million children per year, 300 to 400 million doses DTP-polio and 150 to 200 million doses of measles and BCG vaccines will be required annually for immunization of the world population against the target diseases as defined by the EPI of the World Health Organization. With the introduction of modern fermentation technologies production of these quantities is practically and economically feasible. The main problem is the administration of the vaccine to the target population. This may be achieved by application of a more condense and simplified vaccination schedule which has shown to be effective in clinical studies. Also, the costs of the immunization programmes may be considerably reduced in this way as the costs of administration form the major part of any immunization programme.
mesh_terms: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D002648:Child; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000191:economics*; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D014612:Vaccines / Q000600:supply & distribution; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D004338:Drug Combinations; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D014612:Vaccines