The Lancet
Oct 24, 2009  Volume 374  Number 9699   Pages 1393 – 1472
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
Vaccines and the world of child health
The Lancet
Preview
For those in developed countries the few vaccinations of our early years are a distant memory. It is easy to take for granted not only the invisible and long-lasting protective veil that vaccinations draw against potentially fatal infectious diseases, but also the public health transformation wrought by vaccines and other interventions in the past century. Our enviable life expectancy and economic success both depend on them.