History of vaccines and positioning of current trends

The history of vaccine development spans a relatively short period of time in comparison to the history of human civilization. However, monumental advances in the field of vaccines have been made in effort to combat infectious disease. These advances have led to a reduction, and in one case the complete eradication, of the burden of some infectious diseases of the world. Throughout the history of vaccine development, milestone discoveries can be identified that have shaped the field of vaccine development, as we know it. These milestones include the first official use of a vaccine by Edward Jenner, the attenuation principals observed by Pasteur, the development of cell culture for the propagation of viruses, and the production of first recombinant protein based vaccine for hepatitis B. As vaccine development progresses into the 21st century, it will be important to build on the experience and knowledge generated in the past, in an effort to surpass the limitations that currently hamper the development of new and more effective vaccine technologies. Presented here is an overview on the history of vaccine development and its influence on the positioning of current trends and future considerations.