title: Live attenuated vaccines: Historical successes and current challenges.
abstract: Live attenuated vaccines against human viral diseases have been amongst the most successful cost effective interventions in medical history. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980; poliomyelitis is nearing global eradication and measles has been controlled in most parts of the world. Vaccines function well for acute diseases such as these but chronic infections such as HIV are more challenging for reasons of both likely safety and probable efficacy. The derivation of the vaccines used has in general not been purely rational except in the sense that it has involved careful clinical trials of candidates and subsequent careful follow up in clinical use; the identification of the candidates is reviewed.
authors: National Institute of Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Philip.Minor@nibsc.org.
authors: Philip D
authors: PD
authors: Minor
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000266:history / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000266:history / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines
keywords: Live viral vaccines; Measles; Mumps; Polio; Rotavirus; Smallpox; Vectored vaccines; Yellow fever