Universal Vaccines : shifting to one for many

Antonio Cassone

doi:10.1128/mbio00042-10

Abstract

Universal Vaccines : shifting to one for many

Highlights

Human vaccines, with their exquisite antigenic specificity, have greatly helped to eliminate or dramatically abate the incidence of a number of historical and current plagues, from smallpox to bacterial meningitis
The vaccine is composed of antigenically related strains belonging to the same bacterial species or viral family, such as, for instance, the antituberculous Mycobacterium bovis BCG and smallpox vaccines
When many different types or clades of the same species can cause disease, the vaccine may be composed of an unusually high number of antigens representative of the most prevalent types or clades

Summary

Introduction

With their exquisite antigenic specificity, have greatly helped to eliminate or dramatically abate the incidence of a number of historical and current plagues, from smallpox to bacterial meningitis. The 23-polysaccharide vaccine generates opsonic antibodies directed against serotype-specific capsular polysaccharides and is safe and protective but does not immunize Ͻ2-year-old children (an age range that includes a high proportion of the most severe cases of pneumococcal bacteremia and meningitis).

Results

Conclusion