Vaccine Innovation: Lessons from World War II

Abstract

World War II marked a watershed in the history of vaccine development as the military, in collaboration with academia and industry, achieved unprecedented levels of innovation in response to war-enhanced disease threats such as influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia. In the 1940s alone, wartime programs contributed to the development of new or significantly improved vaccines for 10 of the 28 vaccine-preventable diseases identified in the 20th century. This article examines the historical significance of military organizations and national security concerns for vaccine development in the United States.

An Overview of History, Evolution, and Manufacturing of Various Generations of Vaccines

“…Also, from that period onwards, the support of foundations and public agencies, such as WHO and research institutes increased significantly. Vaccines, such as Polio, Japanese encephalitis B, and Influenza were produced at this time (13,14). After World War II, targeting vaccination programs became to a universal tool for improving public health (2).…”

Interwoven support: An historical survey of US federal programs enabling immunization

“…The exigencies of World War I and especially World War II accelerated American vaccine and antibody research programs, as military researchers and their academic counterparts raced to develop countermeasures against gas gangrene, influenza, typhus, Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever, and other threats to military strength [67][68][69][70][71][72][73]. Tetanus antitoxin was first used on a wide scale during World War I, with tetanus toxoid first used widely during World War II [1].…”

R&D Models: Lessons from Vaccine History

“…Meanwhile, the Commission set up contracts with several academic bodies for work to improve virus yields, titration accuracy, and purification procedures (Hoyt 2006;NIAID 2002).…”

“…Once the vaccine had been refined by Francis's team, the Commission issued contracts to a number of American pharmaceutical companies to produce sample lots; Francis then tested the lots for purity and consistency in his laboratory and provided feedback and advice (Hoyt 2006). Meanwhile, the Surgeon General's Office authorized a large-scale trial of the vaccine within training units of the Army, and the AFEB immunized 12,500 Army troops with Francis's vaccine in October and November 1943.…”

“…Meanwhile, the Surgeon General's Office authorized a large-scale trial of the vaccine within training units of the Army, and the AFEB immunized 12,500 Army troops with Francis's vaccine in October and November 1943. Testing in troops considerably simplified the clinical trial process, because troops acted as a stable population with high compliance, and uniform observation and follow-up were relatively straightforward and simple for the researchers (Hoyt 2006). …”