New Vaccines and Chemotherapy / Edition 1

by Edouard Kurstak, R.G. Marusyk, F.A. Murphy, M.H.V. Van Regenmortel

Overview

Viral Vaccines Joseph L. Melnick As with history in general, the history of vaccines needs to be reexamined and updated. My task is to look back to see what has been successful and to look forward to see what remains to be accomplished in the prevention of viral diseases by vaccines. Also, I shall refer to the pertinent material discussed at two recent conferences of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, on virus vaccines under development and their target populations in the United States (1985b) and in developing countries (1986). These reports, plus a third on Vaccine Supply and Innovation (1985a), should be required reading for all those in both the public and the private sector who have a responsibility or interest in vaccines for the prevention of human disease. It has been through the development and use of vaccines that many viral diseases have been brought under control. The vaccines consist either of infectious living attenu­ ated viruses or of noninfectious killed viruses or subviral antigens. When we look at the record, it is the live vaccines that have given the great successes in controlling diseases around the world. Examples are smallpox, yellow fever, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, and rubella.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306426599
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	01/31/1988
Series:	Annals of Theoretical Psychology , #1
Edition description:	1988
Pages:	306
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Kurstak, Edouard (Univ of Montreal); Marusyk, R.G. (Univ of Alberta); Murphy, F.A. (UC Davis); Van Regenmortel, M.H.V. (Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Strasbourg)

The contributors represent the specialties of virology, public health, microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases. The contributors come from eight countries including the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Japan. They are affiliated wtih universities and research laboratories.

Editorial Reviews

Explains the new methodologies by which viral diseases can be definitively diagnosed in a few hours, especially molecular methods. The many new methods now being developed are based largely on the application of the polymerase chain reaction to the detection of viral genomic material. Accessible to a wide range of practitioners. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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