Vaccines are considered the most effective tool to prevent the infectious diseases. An efficacious vaccination programme not only allows protecting the immunized individuals, but can also reduce the disease among unimmunized individuals in the community through “herd protection”. Vaccines have also helped to reduce illness, treatment periods, disability, loss of working ability and mental or physical development for children.

 

Although to date the eradication has been proved only for smallpox, the elimination of the disease in local districts can be considered an achievable goal for many diseases for which vaccine are already available.

 

In the last century traditionally developed vaccines saved more than 700 million cases of disease and more than 150 million deaths. However, every year 3 million people die from vaccine-preventable diseases, with half of these deaths occurring in children less than five years old.

 

Currently the group has several vaccine candidates at different stages of development:

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