Powered by advances in medical technology and our understanding of DNA, doctors and researchers are developing vaccines to cure many previously stubborn diseases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the approval of a new oral vaccine that protects against rotavirus, a major cause of diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and dehydration in children.

The infection hospitalizes approximately 55,000 infants and young children annually. In the U.S., deaths are rare here, but the disease kills as many as 500,000 babies and young children per year in developing countries, particularly in Africa. In studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, 74% of all rotavirus gastroenteritis cases, 98% of severe cases and 96% of hospitalizations were prevented by the vaccine.

Another major health advance for children is the anticipated release of a new type of vaccine that fights deadly pneumococcal bacteria infections that may begin as common ear infections. Although the new vaccine only targets 7 out of some 80 strains of Pneumococcus, those 7 are responsible for approximately 65% of ear infections overall and more than 85% of severe cases.

Progress is also continuing in efforts to develop vaccines against bird flu, for both humans and birds, in an attempt to prevent a global pandemic that could be the most deadly in nearly a century. Promising results are being achieved in coming up with better vaccine production methods that don't involve the use of fertilized chicken eggs. Egg-based methods are difficult to scale up for rapid production of new vaccines. The new methods could have far-reaching effects in helping the U.S. and other countries defend their public health, not only against natural diseases but also against a biological terrorist attack.