<p>Seasonal outbreaks of infectious diseases emphasise the critical need for the development of effective vaccines to address global healthcare challenges. Vaccines traditionally evolved using live attenuated organisms, killed organisms, and inactivated toxins. Despite the progression of traditional vaccines, improvement is needed due to toxicity and partial immunogenicity chances after multiple doses. Nanotechnology-based vaccines are now overcoming the gaps in traditional vaccines by enhancing their immunogenicity and reducing levels of toxicity. Nanocarrier-based vaccines reduce dosing frequency by enabling sustained antigen release, thereby minimising the need for booster doses required in conventional vaccines to achieve long-term immunity. The surface of nanocarriers can also be modified by phagocytic cells to increase their uptake for better antigen presentation and recognition and boost antibody production. As a result of better antigen recognition, the antibody production rate of nanocarrier-based vaccines is faster than that of traditional vaccines. Nanocarriers have a distinguished variety of sizes, shapes and compositions. They can also be used for the co-delivery of antigens and adjuvants. These advantageous nanocarriers are classified into various types based on their nature, like polymeric-based, lipid, and inorganic. In the case of solid nanocarriers, they protect against the degradation of the vaccine and improve its facilitation through gut related lymphoid tissues also mucosa linked lymphoid tissue. This review discussed the evolved platform of nanotechnology in vaccine development and its advantages over traditional vaccines. This paper also includes the classification of various nanocarriers, primarily focusing on nanovaccines developed for diseases such as hepatitis, malaria, COVID-19, influenza, human immunodeficiency virus, and cancer.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>