Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit

Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units have played a key role in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID) efforts to develop new and improved vaccines and therapies against infectious diseases for more than four decades. They have conducted hundreds of clinical trials, many of which have contributed to vaccine licensure.

An important strength of the VTEUs is their ability to enroll large numbers of volunteers into trials rapidly and vaccinate them in a safe, effective, and quick manner. This rapid-response capability is especially important for testing vaccines designed to counteract emerging public health concerns. One of the primary goals of NIAID research is to develop new vaccines against infectious diseases. VTEUs also test new ways to deliver vaccines.

In 2013, the ability of the network of VTEU Sites expanded to conduct research in domestic and international research locations, including resource-poor settings. This expanded scope will allow researchers to study infectious diseases where they are endemic, enabling them to learn more about the origin and evolution of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases.