Middle East respiratory syndrome vaccines

• Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), caused by a novel coronavirus, is a highly lethal respiratory disease.
• No vaccines or antiviral therapies are available.
• Camels are widely infected and may be good targets for vaccination.
• MERS monoclonal antibodies and human convalescent sera may be useful for prophylaxis and treatment.
• Active immunization strategies, based on the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) experience, are under development.

SummaryThe Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has infected over 1600 individuals with nearly 600 deaths since it was first identified in human populations in 2012. No antiviral therapies or vaccines are available for its treatment or prophylaxis. Approaches to the development of MERS vaccines are discussed herein, including a summary of previous efforts to develop vaccines useful against human and non-human coronaviruses. A striking feature of MERS is the important role that camels have in transmission. Camel vaccination may be a novel approach to preventing human infection.