David Salisbury was Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health and has chaired the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunisation for the World Health Organisation. He has provided leadership for the introduction of a very large number of new immunisation programmes and vaccines. The UK immunisation programme is one of the foremost in the world and its excellence is recognised in both industrialised and developing countries. He has demonstrated how successful immunisation programmes require bringing together science, policy development, strategy and implementation, and whose impact has been the saving of thousands of lives. He is Chair of the Jenner Vaccine Foundation and is President of the Governing Council of the International Association of Immunisation Managers. He has also been actively involved in the Global Eradication of Poliomyelitis Initiative.