Hydatid disease and neurocysticercosis are parasitic diseases caused by infection with the larval stages of cestode parasites. These diseases are important causes of human morbidity and mortality, particularly in the developing world. Despite the availability of effective anthelmintics for use in the parasites’ definitive hosts, the diseases remain prevalent and there is a need for new and improved measures for control of the infections. The parasites are transmitted zoonotically, with livestock animals acting as natural animal hosts. We have sought to develop effective practical vaccines to prevent infection in livestock animals as a new option to assist in the control of Echinococcus granulosus and Taenia solium, the causative agents of hydatid disease and neurocysticercosis. Highly effective recombinant antigen vaccines have been developed for each of these diseases, being the most effective against any infection caused by a eukaryotic pathogen. Both vaccines have been validated through a series of independent trials undertaken in several different countries. Field trials have proven the vaccines to be effective against naturally acquired infections. Commercial scale-up of the vaccines is underway, with field evaluation of a commercially registered product foreshadowed to begin in 2014. While many practical issues remain as challenges to the application of the vaccines in endemic countries, the prospects have never been better for implementation of sustainable and effective control measures leading to a substantial reduction in the global burden of both hydatid disease and neurocysticercosis.