MRSA vaccine in 10 years?

A vaccine for two deadly hospital superbugs should be available within 10 years.

That’s according to Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, who said in his 2007 Annual Report this week that a vaccine for C difficile is possible within five years, while a jab to protect against MRSA will be ready by the year 2018.

“Vaccination is arguably the most important public health development in the history of humankind,” he explained.

“Over the last 200 years it has saved hundreds of millions of lives worldwide.

“The continuing work to develop new vaccines and potentially save more lives in the future is a testament to the work of Edward Jenner two centuries ago.

“New vaccines could not just prevent infectious diseases, but could also prevent or treat some cancers and other chronic conditions.”

He said immunising patients against MRSA and Clostridium difficile would be a “big breakthrough”, although he added that infection control measures would still need to be in place.