Vaccines: The history of vaccines from the past to modern day

Vaccines: The history of vaccines from the past to modern day

Poster

Rumyana Nikolova
Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "Saint Kliment Ohridski", Bulgaria

For many centuries, before the notion of infectious diseases was affirmed in clinical practice, mankind was battling epidemics of various origins. Vaccination, now an intrinsic part of public health, is the most effective method of fighting infectious disease epidemics. Aim: Tracing the history of vaccine development; outlining different types of vaccines, their ingredients, effects and benefits. Methods: We performed a documentary analysis and a literature review of scientific publications. Results: Smallpox is one of the oldest infections known to mankind. One of the first treatment methods was inoculation (variolation) – immunisation through injecting healthy individuals with materials taken from infected ones. In 1796 Edward Jenner created the first smallpox vaccine. His invention was a massive breakthrough in medicine, and it is regarded as the origin of immunology. In the following years, the field of immunology continues to grow thanks to Louis Pasteur, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, and others. Effective vaccines, providing long-term immunity, have been developed against a plethora of human pathogens. There is a variety of types: attenuated, inactivated, toxoids, subunit, mRNA, vector vaccines. Science still faces the challenge of developing vaccines against other pathogens, such as HIV. Conclusion: Vaccination is undoubtedly the most effective infection disease prevention method since the 18th century and to this day. Today vaccines come as a result of years of clinical research which proves their efficacy and safety before being approved by regulatory bodies.
Keywords: vaccines, vaccination, infectious diseases, smallpox