Patent ID: 7384644

Claim:
A Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) strain MVA-BN, deposited at the European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC), Salisbury (UK) under number V00083008 and derivatives thereof, wherein said strains are characterized by having at least one of the following properties: i. induction of protective immunity against a lethal vaccinia virus infection wherein the MVA-BN, or a derivative thereof, is administered to a mouse in an amount effective to confer said immunity, whereby the effective amount of the MVA-BN virus, or a derivative thereof, is less than the effective amount of MVA-575 (ECACC V00120707) required to render said mouse immune to a lethal vaccinia virus infection, and ii. induction of at least substantially the same level of immunity in vaccinia virus prime/vaccina virus boost regimes when compared to DNA prime/vaccinia virus boost regimes.