Table 6.10.

Possible effects and consequences of genital HSV vaccines

Effect	Positive consequences	Negative consequences
Prevent mucosal infection	No clinical disease No latency No recurrences	None
Prevent development of clinical disease but not mucosal infection	No symptomatic disease	Latency established Recurrent infections can develop with possible transmission to susceptible partners
Prevent latent infection	No latency and no recurrences	Without preventing mucosal infection there could be an initial episode of symptomatic genital herpes
Reduce latent infection	Possibly fewer recurrences or less severe outbreaks, and less risk of transmission	Still a risk of initial and recurrent infections and hence transmission

HSV, herpes simplex virus.