ABSTRACT
Traditionally, vaccination aims to prevent infectious diseases. It can be considered as one of the most successful medical strategies. The conventional vaccines routinely applied in man are very effective in preventing a number of infectious diseases. This is illustrated by the fact that mass vaccination has resulted in the worldwide eradication of smallpox in the 1970s. Moreover, diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, and rubella are under control in the developed countries as well as in an increasing number of developing countries, because of the application of childhood vaccines. Currently, vaccines are not only developed against infectious diseases. Vaccines in the pipeline include anti-drug abuse vaccines (nicotine, cocaine) and vaccines against allergies, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
