Adenovirus vaccine


An adenovirus vaccine is a vaccine against adenovirus infection.
It was used by the United States military from 1971 to 1999, but was discontinued when the only manufacturer stopped production. This vaccine elicited immunity to adenovirus serotypes 4 and 7, the serotypes most often associated with acute respiratory disease. On March 16, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an adenovirus vaccine manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals under contract to the U.S. Army. This vaccine is essentially the same as the one used from 1971 to 1999. On October 24, 2011, the military services began administering the new adenovirus vaccine to recruits during basic training.
The vaccine is orally administered and consists of live virus. The tablets are coated, so that the virus passes the stomach and infects the intestines, where the immune response is raised.
It should not be confused with the strategy of using adenovirus as a viral vector to develop vaccines for other pathogens, or as a general gene carrier.