Vaccines of the future

n New tools are available to aid vaccine manufacturers in meeting challenges for new vaccine development , Many technologies that are already available continue to be improved, including adjuvants and novel vaccine delivery platforms , New methods are yet to be fully exploited, including reverse engineering (going from pathogen gene sequences to immunogenic epitopes), screening of peptide libraries, and methods to increase antigen purity, cross-protection and thermostability n Persistent, highly variable and/or novel pathogens, and complex (eg polymicrobial) infections present challenges to vaccine designers. Targets include new prophylactic vaccines that prevent the emergence of disease and new therapeutic vaccines which augment or redirect the existing immune response to control persistent infections, malignancies, autoimmune diseases and addiction n State-of-the-art technology combined with a more comprehensive understanding of disease aetiology, pathogen biology and host immunity will assist future vaccine developments to combat elusive pathogens and protect populations with special needs