History of Vaccine Development

Vaccinology, the concept of a science ranging from the study of immunology to the development and distribution of vaccines, was a word invented by Jonas Salk. This book covers the history of the methodological progress in vaccine development and to the social and ethical issues raised by vaccination. Chapters include "Jenner and the Vaccination against Smallpox," "Viral Vaccines," and "Ethical and Social Aspects of vaccines." Contributing authors include pioneers in the field, such as Samuel L. Katz and Hilary Koprowski. This history of vaccines is relatively short and many of its protagonists are still alive. This book was written by some of the chief actors in the drama whose subject matter is the conquest of epidemic disease.

The history of vaccines now goes back over 300 years to the work of Jenner but the last 50 years have seen an enormous acceleration of the pace of vaccine development and, accordingly, the impact on infectious diseases.

However, no vaccine development has been easy and there is an interesting story attached to each. The editor of this book brought together a number of the scientists responsible for modern vaccines and historians familiar with the stories about the ones developed in earlier centuries.

The chapters in this book recount the hard work and detours that are intimately associated with vaccine development and give some sense of the perseverance that gave public health the tools of modern preventive medicine.