Historical Documents & Primary Sources

Principles of Vaccination (1929)

Adapted from: W.W.C. Topley and G.S. Wilson, The Principles of Bacteriology and Immunity (New York: William Wood & Co., 1929)

1. A vaccine should not cause harm to a healthy child.
2. The adverse effects of vaccination should not exceed the burden of the disease it prevents.
3. Administration should be practical and straightforward.
4. Vaccination should confer both individual and population-level benefit.
5. The immunity produced by vaccination should be durable enough to minimize the need for frequent re-administration.