VIRAL IATROGENIC CONTAMINATION AND SAFETY OF BIOLOGICALS

The use of biologicals such as bacterial or viral vaccines have an ine rt risk as a result of their preparation. In the last century it was d ifficult to determine the correlation of the clinical accidents until the characteristic viral genome became available. Generally, the frequ ency of accidents provoked by viral vaccines has diminished due to (1) the improvements of the methods used for viral inactivation and purif ication, (2) the introduction of good manufacturing practices and rigo rous regulatory policy and (3) the progress in the post-clinical surve illance of adverse reactions after vaccine administration, allowing a better risk-benefit analysis.