Advantages of standardizing vaccine and antibody nomenclature

摘要

In the late 1970s, practitioners struggled to legibly write generic names such as diphenylhydantoin and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate. They were delighted when authorities switched to the simpler names (phenytoin and docusate sodium, respectively) that we use today.Unfortunately, a similar problem exists today with respect to vaccine names. Some of these have grown to cumbersome length, measured in words, not syllables. Some vaccine names could create misunderstanding and error due to inconsistencies or mistaken emphasis. Superfluous words clutter product labels, especially single-dose vials and prefilled syringes. If shorter names were available, font size could be increased, making visualization easier. Long names also make it more difficult to focus on what is important.