The year of vaccines

 

Never before have so many new vaccines received marketing authorization in a single year as in 2006. For the first time, preventative vaccinations are now possible for three diseases: diarrhea from rotaviruses, herpes zoster and - the latest - for cervical cancer. In addition, vaccines have become available this year that simultaneously protect from mumps, measles, rubella and chickenpox. Previously, simultaneous protection was only possible for mumps, measles and rubella, and an additional vaccination was required against chickenpox.

With this year's new vaccines, pharmaceutical research can offer greater protection for people of all ages:

• Severe diarrhea because of rotaviruses affects predominantly infants and toddlers; it is the most frequent cause why small children must be admitted to the hospital. In the European Union, this happens about 87,000 times per year.
  
• Usually, toddlers or school children come down with the "classic" children's diseases of mumps, measles, rubella and chickenpox. Time and again, there are regional outbreaks such as the recent one in North Rhine-Westphalia with more than 1,100 children suffering from measles.
  
• Cervical cancer is caused by human papilloma viruses (HPV) transmitted during sexual intercourse. Every year, about 6,500 women in Germany develop this type of cancer. A vaccine can provide protection from the most frequent cancer-causing HPV.
  
• Herpes zoster (shingles) can become a problem especially for older people, because months of pain frequently remain after the actual skin rash - the visible viral neuritis - subsides. Every year, there are about 1.5 million cases of shingles in the EU.

"With the latest biotechnology procedures such as gene and cell culture technology, pharmaceutical researchers made many things possible in vaccine development during the past decade that was previously inconceivable," said Cornelia Yzer, director general of the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA). For example, for the vaccines against cervical cancer, viral proteins are genetically manufactured and put together to form spherical nanoparticles. In the body of a vaccinated individual, these nanoparticles are "confused" with real viruses, which prompts the body to establish immune protection.

Over the next few years, pharmaceutical companies could launch additional novel vaccines, including sera against avian influenza, mononucleosis, genital herpes and middle ear infection. Research also continues intensively regarding a vaccine against HIV/AIDS. However, it is unforeseeable as of yet when it could become available.

Stand: 26.09.2006