Vaccine
Volume 33, Supplement 2, 8 June 2015, Pages B29–B33
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0264410X/33/supp/S2

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Supplement: Enhancing Vaccine Immunity and Value
An update of the progress and future needs of research and policies for enhancing vaccine value, based on the symposium organised by Novartis

Introduction to the supplement
Pages B1-B2
Rino Rappuoli
Abstract
In July of 2014, a symposium entitled “Enhancing Vaccine Immunity and Value” was held in Siena, Italy. The focus of the symposium was on how to best meet the challenge of developing and implementing vaccines for future disease targets. Vaccination has been responsible for averting estimated 3 billion cases of disease and more than 500 million lives to date through the prevention of infectious diseases. This has largely been responsible for dramatic increases in life span in developed countries. However, with the demographics of the world’s population are changing, with many adults now surviving into their 80s, we now face the challenge of protecting the aging and other underserved populations not only against infectious diseases but also against cancer and other chronic conditions that occur in older adults. To face this challenge, we must harness new technologies derived from recent advances in the fields of immunology, structural biology, synthetic biology and genomics that promise a revolution in the vaccine field. Specifically, vaccine adjuvants have the potential to harness the immune system to provide protection against new types of diseases, improve protection in young children and expand this protection to adults and the elderly. However, in order to succeed, we need to overcome the non-technical challenges that could limit the implementation of innovative vaccines, including controversies regarding the safety of adjuvants, increasing regulatory complexity, the inadequate methods used to assess the value of novel vaccines, and the resulting industry alienation from future investment. In this supplement, we have assembled manuscripts from lectures and discussions of the symposium last July that addressed two related questions: how to improve vaccine efficacy using breakthrough technologies and how to capture the full potential of novel vaccines.

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Valuing vaccines: Deficiencies and remedies
Review Article
Pages B29-B33
David E. Bloom
Abstract
Current evaluation models for the value of vaccines typically account for a small subset of the full social and economic benefits of vaccination. Health investments yield positive economic benefits via several channels at the household, community, and national levels. Underestimating, or worse, not considering these benefits can lead to ill-founded recommendations regarding the introduction of vaccines into immunization programs. The clear and strong links between health and wealth suggest the need to redesign valuation frameworks for vaccination so that the full costs may be properly weighed against the full benefits of vaccines.

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Bridging the gap: Need for a data repository to support vaccine prioritization efforts
Review Article
Pages B34-B39
Guruprasad Madhavan, Charles Phelps, Kinpritma Sangha, Scott Levin, Rino Rappuoli