Personal reflections on twentieth century vaccinology

The science of vaccinology was created in the late 18th and 19th centuries by "giants" of the time including Jenner, Pasteur, Koch, von Behring, Ehrlich and Lister. Relatively little technologic advance was made in the period leading to World War II except for yellow fever and influenza vaccines. Support for war efforts fueled developments which led to the modern era of vaccines of 1950 onwards. The author's career in vaccinology, which began in 1944, was recognized in the 2002 Prince Mahidol Award given in Bangkok, Thailand. This review presents the substance of the Award lecture delivered on January 29, 2003.