title: Prevention is better than cure.
abstract: The history of the control of infectious disease reflects the balance between our understanding of the nature of infection, the mechanisms of host resistance and the available technology to deliver an intervention. However, behind this 'biomedical' construct lies a deeper set of issues which embody serendipity, public understanding, and population-based intervention and its acceptability by the wider community, often complicated by the decisions and subsequent vacillations of policy makers.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council, London.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borysiewicz
mesh_terms: D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003906:Developing Countries; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006291:Health Policy; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D012899:Smallpox / Q000517:prevention & control; D012900:Smallpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000266:history; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000266:history
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine; D012900:Smallpox Vaccine; D014612:Vaccines