Control of Dual-Threat Agents: The Vaccines for Peace Programme

ISBN-13: 9780198291725 / Angielski / Miękka / 1994 / 288 str.

Geissler, Erhard

Opis

Dual-threat agents (DTAs) are those viruses, bacteria, fungi, and toxins which are not only natural enemies of living organisms but which can be deliberately used for hostile purposes as biological or toxin weapon agents. The development, production, and use of vaccines are the primary measures needed to prevent DTA-related diseases and intoxinations. However, the development and production of vaccines against DTAs are more or less restricted to military programs, and this frequently raises suspicions about possible offensive intentions. To counter such reservations, a proposal has been made to establish a Vaccines for Peace (VFP) program, an international program for the development and use of vaccines against DTAs, to be administered by the World Health Organization in close cooperation with the Program for Vaccine Development. This book provides a thorough and wide-ranging analysis of the VFP program. It contains contributions from a range of experts from fields as diverse as biotechnology, international law, and diplomacy.

Recenzje

This book is a valuable account of the current state of the production of vaccines against human pathogens and toxins and the long-term strategy to make them available for civil use. It is a useful starting point to stimulate discussion with the most up-to-date, international information. It is vital, however, that the ideas from this study are heeded and drawn upon to enable further work to be carried out to assess the feasibility of the VEP programme.