Since the vaccine against smallpox was first created in 1796 many vaccines have been developed for childhood and adult diseases. For instance, childhood immunizations in the United States protect against 11 diseases.
There are also vaccines for travelers to countries where diseases not endemic in the US are common—such as yellow fever—and vaccines for groups with a high risk of contracting diseases such as anthrax for veterinarians.
Currently, researchers are developing new vaccines against emerging infectious diseases such as West Nile Virus and SARS; sexually transmitted diseases such as Herpes, HIV; and potential bioterrorism agents such as Ebola.
This section contains information about some of the diseases for which vaccines are being developed and the current progress in their development.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis—inflammation of the bronchioles (small airways) which causes wheezing—as well as pneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age. Two types of candidate RSV vaccines are being evaluated.
Updated: December 21, 2006 | Read full article...
The West Nile Virus (WNV) first appeared in North America in New York in 1999, and 62 people were infected in that initial outbreak, seven of whom died. What is the West Nile Virus? Is there a vaccine against it?
Updated: September 15, 2004 | Read full article...