Bethesda, MD (March 26, 2019) — Global infectious disease researchers and public health experts will gather in Baltimore, MD on April 3-5, 2019 for the Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research(ACVR) sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). The conference brings together researchers from around the world, representing the many disciplines involved in vaccinology.
ACVR features the latest information on the research and development of vaccines and associated technologies for disease control through immunization. Keynote speakers include Robert R. Redfield, MD, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), who will talk about vaccination as the best tool for prevention and the only tool for eradication. Anita K. M. Zaidi, MBBS, SM, of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will present the Mary Lou Clements-Mann Memorial Lecture on vaccines as a tool toward typhoid elimination.
The conference includes a day-long series of events recognizing the work of women in the field of vaccinology, including a panel discussion featuring Zaidi along with Kathryn Edwards, MD, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, of Merck & Co., Inc.; and Anne Schuchat, MD (RADM, USPHS, RET), CDC principal deputy director.
Sessions will cover timely topics including vaccine hesitancy, correlates of protection, the evolving epidemiology of the invasive pneumococcal disease, and updates on new vaccines for the Zika virus, yellow fever, dengue, and other neglected tropical diseases. Additional presentations will address rapid responses to emerging infections (“pathogen X”), vaccines in the pipeline to combat antimicrobial resistance, and the current status of controlled human challenge models for influenza virus and how that model could improve scientists’ understanding of vaccine-induced and natural immunity to advance the development of new vaccines.
Research findings will be presented on numerous topics, including adenovirus types in children with acute respiratory illness, the effectiveness of the measles vaccine, and the impact of the Affordable Care Act on adult immunization rates.
“At a time when outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are happening across the country, it is vital that interdisciplinary experts from around the world come together to talk about new research on vaccine technologies and to share strategies for addressing vaccine hesitancy and missed opportunities for immunization,” says NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD. “ACVR offers a timely and well-established forum for those discussions.”
Credentialed members of the media should contact Diana Olson to schedule interviews with NFID experts.
About the Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research (ACVR)
Sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)for more than 20 years, ACVR is a well-established forum for the exchange of the latest scientific and clinical research in vaccinology between healthcare professionals, trainees and young investigators, government officials, and representatives from industry and academia. Visit www.nfid.org/acvr for more information.
About the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Founded in 1973, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the burden, causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases across the lifespan. Visit www.nfid.org/acvr for more information.
Contact: Diana Olson at 301-656-0003, x140
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