The report discusses, among other topics, the role of applied research in the development of new or improved vaccines against such diseases as tetanus and cholera both in the United States and internationally.
Though the report does not directly address expanded vaccine research opportunities under the proposed authority, Violaine Mitchell, the study director at IOM, says investigators may be attracted to a more directed approach.
"In terms of funding streams it might help direct attention to areas of top priority and attract new researchers there," she says. "On the other hand, so much of what science does well is allowing investigator-initiated research to explore new opportunities."
The report, entitled The Children's Vaccine Initiative: Achieving The Vision (Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 1993), was produced by an 18-person committee whose members represent academia, industry, government, and nonprofit groups. The committee met on a regular basis between February 1992 and February 1993 ...
