The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that resulted in a pandemic in 2003 spurred a flurry of interest in the development of vaccines to prevent and treat the potentially deadly viral infection. Researchers around the world pooled their scientific resources and shared early data in an unprecedented manner in light of the impending public health crisis. There are still large gaps in knowledge about the pathogenesis of this virus. While significant advances have been made in the development of animal models, the practicality of their use may be hampered by a lack of pathological similarity with human disease. Described here are issues related to progress in vaccine development and the obstacles that lie ahead for both researchers and regulatory agencies.