Despite significant advances, there is more work to be done before the international community can be confident that it possesses sufficient protection against any future smallpox threats. The current World Health Organization (WHO)-approved research agenda for smallpox has been tightly focused by the interpretation that research “essential for public health” equates solely to applied research related directly to the development of new antiviral drugs, safer vaccines, and better diagnostics.
In May 2007, resolution WHA60.1 of the World Health Assembly requested the Director‐General of the World Health Organization (WHO) to undertake a major review, in 2010, of the state of smallpox research and additional related research needed for public health purposes. This was undertaken so that the sixty‐fourth World Health Assembly, in
End Of Vaccination Took Away Protection From HIV, Say Researchers
Washington: The end of smallpox vaccination in the mid-20th century could be responsible for a loss of protection that led to the rapid spread of HIV, according to researchers.
It is known that vaccinia immunization, as given to prevent the spread of smallpox, reduces HIV replication in the laboratory.
This article is a history of the last stage of the global smallpox eradication programme, christened in India as the National Smallpox Eradication Programme (NSEP).
