Dr. Penny Heaton
All children and their parents should have the same opportunity to receive life-saving vaccines regardless of where they may live.
Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) October 23, 2013
Dr. Penny Heaton, Director of Vaccine Development, Global Health Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr. Gregory A. Poland, Director, Mayo Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic will present keynote addresses on global vaccine research and development in the 21st century at the 17th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). The conference is scheduled for April 28-30, 2014 in Bethesda, MD.
Vaccines are responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once common in this country and around the world, including polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps, tetanus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Vaccines also eradicated smallpox, one of the most devastating diseases in history, and have prevented countless cases of infectious diseases, saving millions of lives.
According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, global immunization coverage has never been higher. More than 100 million children are immunized each year, saving an estimated 2.5 million lives. The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) focuses on making vaccines accessible in the developing world, and supporting vaccine research and development. “All children and their parents should have the same opportunity to receive life-saving vaccines regardless of where they may live,” said Dr. Heaton.
Vaccines of the future may be even more effective. According to Dr. Poland, “vaccines, like drugs and medical procedures, are increasingly amenable to individualization or personalization. As a result of new technologies, 21st century vaccinology will increasingly see the abandonment of a ‘one size fits all’ approach to vaccine dosing and delivery.” Dr. Poland’s work is leading to new understandings of how vaccines stimulate immune responses and which genetic and other factors may affect vaccine response.
NFID’s Annual Conference on Vaccine Research provides high-quality, current reports of scientific progress and best practices in the field of vaccinology, and brings together the diverse disciplines involved in the research and development of vaccines and associated technologies for disease control through immunization. By drawing upon an international audience of scientists and researchers, healthcare professionals and trainees, veterinarians, vaccine manufacturers, and public health officials, the conference is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas across a broad range of disciplines. Topics to be presented include:
- Future Trends in Vaccine Research
- Current Challenges in Immunization Policy
- Vaccines for the Developing World
- Regulatory Challenges of Evaluating and Approving Adjuvanted Vaccines
- Innovations in Influenza Vaccines
- Immunology and Vaccine Discovery
About the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1973 and dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the causes, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases. Visit http://www.nfid.org for more information.
