Techniques Employed in Production of Traditional Vaccines Commonly Used by Military Forces: A Review

The most successful and effective preventive measure against infection from a particular disease is to get vaccinated. Traditional vaccines use a dead or a weakened pathogenic microbe or a toxin from a pathogen. The introduction of an attenuated or dead pathogen into a healthy individual generates an immune response. Vaccines aid in creating a memory of the antigenic specificity of disease in the individual, thus immunizing the individual against that particular disease for a long period. Therefore, getting vaccinated for a disease is the best measure one can take, especially for military forces. Due to the circumstantial juxtaposition of a soldier in harsh environments while serving his nation with little to no amenities, the threat of a biological agent increases significantly. Thus, the maintenance of hygiene and immunity is of utmost importance in the military to prevent any setback in the line of duty. Some vaccines do require booster doses to retain the memory of antigenic specificity. Various techniques have been developed or are under development to produce effective vaccines for several diseases. A key development in traditional vaccines is the reduction of booster doses required, as well as the reduction of side effects. Any technique used to produce vaccines has to ensure the provision of long-term immunity to the individual, no side effects on the individual due to the vaccine, no relapse or reversion of pathogenicity, and induction of an immune response at a low dosage. This article aims to highlight the progress and failures in the development of different types of traditional vaccines, along with the procedures and techniques used in traditional vaccine production.