[Problems associated with the development of vaccines based on recombinant vaccinia virus]

A collection of single and double vaccinia virus recombinants was prepared. The recombinants contained either genes for different forms of surface protein or core protein of HBV or the gene for glycoprotein I of varicella-zoster virus. Cells infected with the recombinants produced the respective foreign antigens. Specific antibodies against the heterologous antigens were induced in mice immunized with the recombinants. The insertion of the second foreign gene into the genome of single recombinants did not influence either the extent of production of the first protein in vitro or its immunogenicity for mice.