 The discovery and production of vaccines was a major breakthrough in efforts to protect people and animals from infectious diseases. Through vaccination, smallpox in humans and rindipest in animals have both been eradicated from the planet. Vaccines are commonly made directly from cultured microbes, also known as pathogens, which are inactivated by chemicals or heat so that the vaccines themselves cannot cause disease. The problem is, the protection afforded by these inactivated vaccines is often short-lived. In contrast, live attenuated vaccines, where the harmfulness of the pathogen has been reduced while still keeping it alive, achieve a much more durable protection. But unfortunately, such vaccines can only be developed for a limited spectrum of pathogens. However today, the portfolio of preventable diseases must expand. A number of innovative vaccines are now in development, using an approach that calls for irradiating the pathogens. This way, they remain alive but are unable to multiply and cause disease. Although this approach is not new, it is only recently that immune profiling and novel irradiation tools have made this possible. To produce irradiated vaccines, the pathogen is cultured on a large scale, purified and then attenuated through irradiation with gamma or x-rays. Before being released for use, the metabolism of the pathogen and its inability to multiply is confirmed in quality control tests so that safety is guaranteed. In animal trials, goats received oral doses of a vaccine made from irradiated gastric worm lava. Two months later, they were exposed to infectious worms and were found to be immune, showing no signs of disease and gaining weight. This vaccine approach is now being investigated also with other pathogens. Results indicate that the development and production of such vaccines will be commercially viable and that they will be more broadly applicable against both human and animal diseases. Building from the outcomes of the smallpox and rindepest campaigns, this approach offers a positive step towards the control of other diseases that impact the lives of humans and animals.