The Current Status of Bacterial Vaccines

A renewed research effort in bacterial vaccines has focused on isolation and purification of major bacterial antigens, both polysaccharide and protein, and production of avirulent bacterial hybrids. One result has been the development of a vaccine against group C meningococcal meningitis, shown to be more than 90% effective in military recruits. Also close to fruition are vaccines against hemophilus and shigella.