GENEVA -- More than 150 top scientists,
researchers and public health experts from around the world met last week in
Switzerland to present, debate and offer expert advice on cutting
edge vaccine research and development, as well as vaccine policy and
implementation.
Scientists are striving to tackle many old and newly emerging infectious
diseases by developing new vaccines and improving technologies and tools. New
manufacturers of vaccine are playing an ever-increasing role in the production
of sufficient vaccines to immunize the world's children.
Immunization stands out as one of the greatest public health achievements
of the 20th century, saving millions of lives. Smallpox was eradicated in
1979; polio, once a global epidemic, will soon be eradicated; neonatal tetanus
has been eliminated from many countries; and measles deaths have decreased by
30 percent globally since 1999.
Among the issues covered in the Global Vaccine Research Forum held June 3-10, 2004
were:
-- SARS: The needs for a public health response in case of a resurgence,
the status of development of vaccines in China, the United States and
Europe, and the extent to which such vaccines could boost the response
of the immune system;
-- Influenza: The modeling of a potential pandemic, the H5N1 avian
influenza outbreak in 2004 and international response, the development
of several vaccines and the industry perspective;
-- Measles and Rubella: The potential advantages of aerosol and jet-
injector delivery of vaccine in mass vaccination campaigns and safety
issues under consideration;
-- Meningitis: Enhanced surveillance in Africa (where over 250 million
people in the "meningitis belt" from Ethiopia to Senegal are at risk
of contracting meningococcal meningitis) and research and development
of vaccines in India and industrialized countries;
-- New vaccines for old bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, which is
among the common causes of the dangerous presence of bacteria in the
blood (bacteraemia);
-- Vaccine manufacturing in developing countries;
-- The state of progress toward vaccines against HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis.
Source: World Health Organization
