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Vaccine Training Course For Developing Countries
Professor Wan-Kyoo Cho of the Korea Support Committee for IVI delivers the Welcome Address at the 14th International Vaccinology Course for the Asia Pacific Region at the Institute’s headquarters in Seoul on Monday. The weeklong course, which is designed to boost developing country capacities in vaccine research and immunization, has more than 70 participants from over 20 countries worldwide.
IVI Hosts 14th Advanced Vaccinology Course to Increase Developing Countries’ Capacity in Vaccine Research and Immunization
l 71 trainees from 20 countries participate in this year’s course, which runs from May 12-16 at IVI headquarters
l Course helps better equip healthcare professionals and policy-makers in developing nations with latest knowledge in vaccine science, vaccination, and shared practical experience
l More than 30 experts from international agencies, research institutions, industry and non-profit organizations, including IVI, the World Health Organization and the U.S. National Institutes of Health will serve as faculty members
May 12, 2014, Seoul, South Korea— The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), the first international organization hosted by the Republic of Korea, convenes the 14th Advanced Vaccinology Course in the Asia-Pacific Region from May 12 to 16. The annual course aims to build capacity of health professionals and decision-makers, especially those from developing countries, in the entire vaccine continuum spanning vaccine development, evaluation, production and policy.
This year, the highly subscribed course brings together 71 trainees from 20 countries worldwide including Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nepal, China, and Spain. The trainees are a diverse mix of scientists, public health officials, and policymakers from the private and public sectors. They include 15 developing country participants who are invited through fellowships funded by course sponsors.
“This year’s course focuses on the vaccine discovery, development and delivery process,” said Deborah Hong, Head of IVI’s Communications and Advocacy Unit and member of the Organizing Committee. “The course will also entail discussions about vaccine-preventable diseases including cholera, dengue, and enteric fever, and other topics such as public perceptions about vaccines and ethics in clinical trials.”
Lectures by leading experts in vaccinology and interactive case studies will comprehensively cover disciplines and issues including epidemiology and immunology, vaccine discovery to licensure, licensing to introduction, licensure to use, and use to acceptance. More than 30 experts from international agencies, including IVI and the World Health Organization; research institutions, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health; universities, including London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; industry, and non-profit organizations will serve as faculty members.
Professor Baik Lin Seong from Yonsei University in Seoul will deliver a plenary speech entitled “Future Outlook: The Role of Korea on Vaccines for Global Health” on May 16. Additionally, Dr. Youngmee Jee from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific will give a lecture entitled “Global and Regional Vaccine Action Plan: 40 Years of Expanded Program on Immunization” to give a historical overview of the EPI program. Other topics to be covered during the course include ‘Use of New Vaccines in School Settings – an Example of Typhoid,’ and ‘Regulatory Considerations in Vaccine Clinical Trials.’
“Capacity building of developing countries is an integral part of IVI’s mandate to develop safe, effective, and affordable vaccines and make them available to populations in developing nations,” said Dr. Thomas F. Wierzba, Deputy Director General of Vaccine Development & Delivery at IVI. “IVI will continue to provide quality training for healthcare professionals and vaccine scientists to ensure wider use of vaccines by populations in need, and seek to develop a network among course alumni to expedite post-event exchange and communications.”
The weeklong course is sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Korea Exchange Bank Foundation, and Pfizer. Core support is provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Korean Ministry of Education.
About IVI
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is the world’s only international organization devoted exclusively to developing and introducing new and improved vaccines to protect the world’s poorest people, especially children in developing countries. Established in 1997, IVI operates as an independent international organization under a treaty signed by 36 countries and the World Health Organization. The Institute conducts research in more than 20 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America on vaccines against enteric and diarrheal infections, Japanese encephalitis, and dengue fever, and develops new and improved vaccines at its headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea. For more information, please visit www.ivi.int.
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