The potential impact of a prophylactic herpes simplex vaccine

Background: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections have a significant impact on health causing a wide range of diseases. Oral-facial and genital sites are the most common locations of infection and may lead to recurrent painful lesions. HSV infection acquired perinatally may result in severe sequelae or even death despite appropriate therapy. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that genital HSV infections significantly raise the risk of HIV transmission. Objective: To describe the strategies, impediments, and advancements in the development of vaccines to prevent HSV disease. Methods: A review of the literature was performed, limited to prophylactic HSV vaccines and their potential effect on genital herpes, oral-facial disease, and perinatal herpes. Conclusion: There are several vaccine strategies under development that show promise for the treatment these diseases.