The Vaccine Book

Book excerpt: The Vaccine Book, Second Edition provides comprehensive information on the current and future state of vaccines. It reveals the scientific opportunities and potential impact of vaccines, including economic and ethical challenges, problems encountered when producing vaccines, how clinical vaccine trials are designed, and how to introduce vaccines into widespread use. Although vaccines are now available for many diseases, there are still challenges ahead for major diseases, such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. This book is designed for students, researchers, public health officials, and all others interested in increasing their understanding of vaccines. It answers common questions regarding the use of vaccines in the context of a rapidly expanding anti-vaccine environment. This new edition is completely updated and revised with new and unique topics, including new vaccines, problems of declining immunization rates, trust in vaccines, the vaccine hesitancy, and the social value of vaccines for the community vs. the individual child's risk. - Provides insights into diseases that could be prevented, along with the challenges facing research scientists in the world of vaccines - Gives new ideas about future vaccines and concepts - Introduces new vaccines and concepts - Gives ideas about challenges facing public and private industrial investors in the vaccine area - Discusses the problem of declining immunization rates and vaccine hesitancy