SEOUL, KOREA - The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), an international organization devoted to research in vaccine development and introduction for the developing world, will hold its “Annual International Advanced Course on Vaccinology in the Asia-Pacific Region” during May 14-19, 2012 at its headquarters in Seoul, Korea.
Now in its 12th year, the popular week-long course was the first-ever vaccinology course of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region. The course aims to build capacity of health professionals, especially those from developing countries, in all areas of the vaccine spectrum from vaccine development to evaluation to production to policy.
This year, over 90 participants from 27 countries, including China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and some African countries are enrolled in the course. The participants are a diverse mix, consisting of scientists, public health officials, and policymakers from private and public sectors. Fellowships provided through the course sponsors were awarded to a select group of participants following a competitive application process. Fifteen fellowships were awarded to individuals from countries such as Burkina Faso, Nepal, and Sudan.
“This year’s program will highlight ethical considerations in vaccine studies, adult vaccines, and communication strategies for vaccines and vaccination, among others,” said Dr. Soon-Ae Kim, course coordinator and IVI scientist. “It will also address more diverse examples of vaccine-preventable diseases, including malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and HPV (human papillomavirus), as well as enteric diseases such as cholera and typhoid.”
Lectures by leading experts in vaccinology, roundtable discussions, and interactive case studies will be conducted on a wide range of disciplines, including epidemiology and immunology, the latest in vaccine technology, regulatory issues, and vaccine economics and financing. More than 20 experts from IVI, universities, research institutions, industry, non-profit organizations, and international agencies will serve as faculty members. The course is expected to greatly improve the ability of developing country professionals to develop and evaluate vaccines, and help improve the quality and safety of vaccines.
Dr. Francis E. Andre, consultant and leading expert in vaccinology, will make a keynote closing speech on May 19, entitled, "The changing face of the vaccine research and development” that will provide a general perspective on global vaccine research. Also, Anne-Isabelle Degryse-Blateau from the United Nations Development Program will talk about “The role of vaccines in supporting country Millennium Development Goals, 2015” which will emphasize the importance of immunization in global development.
“Capacity building of developing countries in vaccine and immunization is a key component of IVI’s work to accelerate the development and deployment of new and underutilized vaccines for populations in developing countries,” IVI’s Director-General Dr. Christian Loucq said. “IVI will continue to provide quality training to professionals worldwide in the coming years to help countries, especially developing nations, effectively cope with the risk of infectious diseases through vaccines.”
The main sponsors of the vaccinology course are GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency/Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries, and Korea Exchange Bank Foundation.
