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A vaccine can be developed in many ways: using killed (denatured) or nonreplicating pathogens (viruses), recombinant protein antigens, live, attenuated (less
harmful) strains of pathogens (for instance cowpox virus to protect against
smallpox).
Vaccines and their uses have shown to be very effective in eradicating smallpox.
Indeed, the extinction of the smallpox disease on earth is one of the best success of
global vaccine campaigns. Similarly, we can say the same thing concerning polio.
Hence, the near extinction of disease in the world, except in some nomad populations and critical areas of today’s world, like Syria and also, surprisingly, of remote
China provinces [22].
11.6.1 Requirements for Vaccine Preparation
Requirements for vaccine preparation are the following:
(a) An innocuous preparation of the antigen (+/− adjuvants);
(b) a suitable biologic model in which to test the effectiveness of the immunization
procedure;
(c) a reduced series of administrations able to induce a long-lasting response (number of boosters required): polio (very long-lasting), as opposed to tetanus (lasts
only some years, many boosters required);
(d) an easy and affordable procedure for preparing quickly a large amount of product to use in case of necessity [22].
11.6.2 Different Method of Vaccinations
The most used method of vaccination generally can be divided as follows:
1. Using killed whole germ preparations (influenza; polio type Salk; Hepatitis A;
rabies; pertussis; cholera);
2. Using live attenuated germ preparations (tuberculosis; mumps-parotitis-rubella;
polio type Sabin; yellow fever; variola; typhus and lately also against Ebola and
Marburg viruses);
3. Using purified antigens component of the infective diseases (meningitis –using
antigenic subunits of Haemophilus influenzae b; acellular pertussis vaccine;
tetanus- diphtheria anatoxins);
4. Using recombinant DNA vaccines (surface antigen of hepatitis B);
5. Using naked DNA vaccines (against many different germs, not yet widely
used); and
6. Finally, using vaccines of genetically modified plants (against many different
germs, not yet widely used) [22].
11 Defense Against Biological Terrorism: Vaccines and Their Characterizations
A vaccine can be developed in many ways: using killed (denatured) or nonreplicating pathogens (viruses), recombinant protein antigens, live, attenuated (less
harmful) strains of pathogens (for instance cowpox virus to protect against
smallpox).
Vaccines and their uses have shown to be very effective in eradicating smallpox.
Indeed, the extinction of the smallpox disease on earth is one of the best success of
global vaccine campaigns. Similarly, we can say the same thing concerning polio.
Hence, the near extinction of disease in the world, except in some nomad populations and critical areas of today’s world, like Syria and also, surprisingly, of remote
China provinces [22].
11.6.1 Requirements for Vaccine Preparation
Requirements for vaccine preparation are the following:
(a) An innocuous preparation of the antigen (+/− adjuvants);
(b) a suitable biologic model in which to test the effectiveness of the immunization
procedure;
(c) a reduced series of administrations able to induce a long-lasting response (number of boosters required): polio (very long-lasting), as opposed to tetanus (lasts
only some years, many boosters required);
(d) an easy and affordable procedure for preparing quickly a large amount of product to use in case of necessity [22].
11.6.2 Different Method of Vaccinations
The most used method of vaccination generally can be divided as follows:
1. Using killed whole germ preparations (influenza; polio type Salk; Hepatitis A;
rabies; pertussis; cholera);
2. Using live attenuated germ preparations (tuberculosis; mumps-parotitis-rubella;
polio type Sabin; yellow fever; variola; typhus and lately also against Ebola and
Marburg viruses);
3. Using purified antigens component of the infective diseases (meningitis –using
antigenic subunits of Haemophilus influenzae b; acellular pertussis vaccine;
tetanus- diphtheria anatoxins);
4. Using recombinant DNA vaccines (surface antigen of hepatitis B);
5. Using naked DNA vaccines (against many different germs, not yet widely
used); and
6. Finally, using vaccines of genetically modified plants (against many different
germs, not yet widely used) [22].
11 Defense Against Biological Terrorism: Vaccines and Their Characterizations