Fig. 3.

Differential vaccine selection for specific pandemic stages. Vaccine characteristics that are optimal for specific pandemic stages are described. Rapidly developed vaccines, such as nucleic acid and recombinant virus vaccines, can impede the rise in cases of infection in the early stages of a pandemic. Humoral and cellular immunity targeting several antigens induced by live attenuated vaccines should be more effective during periods of high morbidity and mortality. After most of the population is immunized, highly safe vaccines, like recombinant protein-based vaccines, would be more appropriate to be administered as boosters.