Description
Vaccination, when available, is undoubtedly the most cost-effective means to prevent and control or even eradicate infectious diseases. In recent years vaccination has also been used for other purposes in animal welfare and production, such as for immuno-castration. In fact the impact of vaccination goes far beyond the simple control of infectious diseases. Vaccination will therefore help to reach many of the objectives of the 2005 Millenium development goals report, especially in the light of the foreseen livestock revolution.
Public perception and disapproval of some veterinary prophylactic measures, such as mass slaughtering of livestock to control epizootic diseases, also contribute to drive vaccination as an alternative. This will be made easier, thanks to recent progress in veterinary vaccinology, such as the availability of marker vaccines.This special issue of the Scientific and Technical Review is aiming at providing useful generic information instead of giving detailed technical descriptions of specific diseases or vaccines.
