The discovery and production of vaccines was a major breakthrough in efforts to protect people and animals from infectious diseases. Through vaccination, smallpox in humans and rinderpest in animals, have both been eradicated from the planet. However, today, the portfolio of preventable diseases must expand. A number of innovative vaccines are now in development, using an approach that calls for irradiating the pathogens. This vaccine approach is now being investigated with several pathogens. Results indicate that the development and production of such vaccines will be commercially viable, and that they will be more broadly applicable against both human and animal diseases.
Building from the outcomes of the smallpox and rinderpest campaigns, this approach offers a positive step towards the control of other diseases that impact the lives of humans and animals.