Course Description

This course will cover key concepts in vaccinology in general, integrating references to the vaccine development and current immunization strategies against COVID-19 for each topic. The course will review the evolution of vaccine development approaches and present the characteristics of currently licensed vaccines and those authorized for emergency use.The process from conception, to R & D, and to first-in-man studies and further evaluation of safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of candidate vaccines through clinical development phases will be presented and analyzed.

Methods to quantifying the induced immune response and the protective efficacy conferred by vaccine candidates will be reviewed, and the notion of correlates of protection will be elaborated upon. Post-licensure approaches in evaluation of vaccines for effectiveness, impact and signal of detection of adverse events will be presented and discussed.

Highlights and challenges of the present immunization programs worldwide will be described vis-à-vis the burden of corresponding vaccine preventable diseases. Special attention will be given to the analysis of psychosocial factors associated with hesitancy to vaccination in various populations. Lecturers will present accomplishments and challenges with selected licensed and investigational vaccines.

Throughout, the course will emphasize the importance of the use of advanced epidemiological tools to prioritize development of new vaccines and assess existent immunization programs. 

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