Public health authorities hoped that the lessons learned in the smallpox campaign would lead to global immunization programs for controlling or eradicating poliomyelitis, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, and tuberculosis. The Salk and Sabin vaccines for poliomyelitis essentially ended the threat of this disease in the wealthy, industrialized nations. Nevertheless, debates about the safety and efficacy of preventive vaccines continue.
Advances in the science of virology, bacteriology, immunology, and molecular biology have led to new approaches to the construction of vaccines. At least 15 new or improved vaccines were developed between 1980 and 2000. Experimental vaccines developed in the 1990s may offer enhanced protection against influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, pertussis, rubella, rabies, bacterial meningitis, hepatitis B, and adenovirus-associated respiratory disease. New vaccine technologies also offer hope of ameliorating the effects of autoimmune disorders and allergies. Of course, in much of the world old specters, such as tuberculosis, malaria, measles, poverty, and malnutrition, remain major threats to life. Historians have called malaria the most devastating disease in history. Malaria and other "tropical diseases" are still major public health threat in many parts of the world.
In the twentieth century, the chronic diseases, especially those that seem to be related to diet and obesity, have eclipsed the threat of infectious disease.
This page contains 188 words.
Overview: Medicine 1950-Present article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 1,540 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Medicine Article
