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DESCRIPTION:
There
is a clear need for the development of a predictive framework, based
on mathematical modelling and computer simulations, that can be
used to help design optimal vaccination strategies. This was the
primary objective of the working group organized by John Glasser
and Herbert Hethcote that met at DIMACS in May, 2004. One aspect
of vaccine use that does not often receive much attention, however,
is the evolutionary consequences of these vaccines. For example,
what effects might vaccine use have on the evolutionary dynamics
of pathogen populations, and how might these evolutionary changes
affect the ability of the vaccine to control a certain disease?
Additionally, do different vaccination strategies result in different
evolutionary outcomes? Given the extensive genetic variability in
many pathogens (such as HIV, influenza A H2N2, malaria and some
vaccine-preventable diseases like polio, MMR, Chickenpox, yellow
fever, tetanus, pneumococcal disease etc.), evolutionary change
in response to vaccination is potentially significant. Our main
objective is to to examine general evolution-related questions for
any disease for which there is a vaccine (or hope for one). THEMES |
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