Immunity and Vaccines Immunity and Vaccines QIMR has a major effort devoted to the combat of infectious diseases through the development of human vaccines - the ultimate medical defence against infectious diseases. It is through vaccines that smallpox has been eradicated and poliomyelitis has been eliminated from the Western world. Measles and chicken pox are currently being targeted and may be the next to disappear.
Successful vaccines rely on a full understanding of the immune mechanisms that protect from disease.
Antibodies and T cell immunity play key roles in defence against many infections, cancers and other challenges to the immune system, and in the rejection of unmatched organ transplants. The development and commercialisation of new vaccines is managed by Vaccine Solutions Pty Ltd .