Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 October 2009
As a new global strategy for improving public health, the Children's Vaccine Initiative implicitly raises, once again, the question of the role of science in developing countries. If there are to be new and improved vaccines, better delivery systems, and simplified immunization schedules, there must be substantial analysis, laboratory activity, and fieldwork to ensure that the new products are ready for effective use. In the context of these requirements, this paper reviews the possibilities for vaccine research and development in middle-income countries and the benefits in terms of fostering socioeconomic development through integrated scientific health research.