Pharm companies are reporting that vaccines are starting to take centre stage in the drug research industry, although they were once thought of as unprofitable and less important. It may be an unexpected side effect of the H1N1 craze – in response, technological advancements were rolled out in a hurry and companies were made to realize that vaccines could make them a profit.

Vaccines expected to hit shelves in the next few years include ones for genital herpes, Alzheimer's, and urinary tract infections (among others). Hopefully this new attention will mean that progress for the herpes vaccine will start to move a little faster than the snail's pace we've been seeing for the last decade!