Transmissible Vaccines

Vaccination at the source is one of the methods the most effective methods to prevent further transmission of the pathogens from their natural reservoir. The challenges, however, include wildlife access to vaccine and the cost of vaccine production and administration. The goal is to generate herd immunity among the natural reservoir to preclude the transmission of the targeted pathogen. This can be accomplished through the use of transmissible vaccines. These vaccines are designed to be transmitted between hosts, which is attenuated so as not to cause disease.

Viral genome engineering allows the design of platforms, including recombinant vector vaccine and live-attenuated vaccines, for the development of transmissible vaccines against diseases. Studies are now being conducted to develop vaccines against Ebola in non-human primates, Hantavirus in deer mice, myxoma in rabbits.