Virtual symposium on immunization brings together global experts to mark World Immunization Week 2021
Organized by The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, the symposium discussed strategies to strengthen routine immunization & build public trust in vaccines
25 April 2021: The Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health at The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, hosted a two-day virtual symposium titled “Ensuring immunization for all in the context of COVID-19” to draw attention to immunization priorities in India and highlight the need to build vaccine confidence, especially in the context of COVID-19. Supported by Global Health Strategies and the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, the symposium marks the beginning of World Immunization Week 2021 – celebrated annually to raise awareness about the value of immunization.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER, said, “Now more than ever before, we need to come together to deliberate a way forward to sustain the gains of our immunization programs. This symposium brings together some of the best minds from across the globe to discuss ways to protect everyone from vaccine preventable diseases.”
Over the course of two days, experts such as Dr. Kate O’Brien, Director, Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Dr. Anuradha Gupta, Deputy CEO of GAVI The Vaccine Alliance; Mr. C.K. Mishra, former Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation outlined India’s contribution to immunization efforts globally and regionally, including its role in the provision of COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Adviser, Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reiterated India’s commitment towards scaling up critical new vaccines such as the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in its national program.
A panel on the role of public-private partnerships (PPP) to strengthen health systems brought together eminent experts from industry and academia such as Dr. Suresh Jadhav, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India; Dr. V. Krishna Mohan, Executive Director, Bharat Biotech India Limited; Dr. Nivedita Gupta, Senior Scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research and Dr. Mirage Singh, BIO Pharma mission, who deliberated on the need for critical policy interventions to build a conducive environment for more effective PPP, based on learnings from the COVID-19 experience.
Vaccine-hesitancy experts such as Dr. Rupali Limaye, Associate Scientist, Johns Hopkins University; Prof. T. Jacob John, Professor Emeritus at Christian Medical College, Vellore; Dr. Naveen Thacker, Executive Director, International Pediatric Association; shared ways to address the spread of misinformation around vaccines. In a special session, international vaccine hesitancy expert Dr. Heidi Larson, Founder-Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shared valuable insights on building public trust in vaccines, particularly in the context of COVID-19.
Speaking on the issue, Dr. Madhu Gupta, Professor, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health and co-convenor of the symposium, said, “Building public trust in the value of immunization is critical in the current context. Even our best public health efforts will not match up unless we have the support and trust of those who are being vaccinated.”
Health communications and the role of media in addressing vaccine hesitancy were discussed by senior journalists and media professionals such as Abantika Ghosh, The Print, and Tamseel Hussain, PLUC.
The event also saw the launch of a digital photo exhibit titled “Behind-the-scenes in child health”. The exhibit, curated by celebrated medical photographer Dr. Kaushik Ghosh, spotlights seven stories of “vaccine-heroes” – from scientists, researchers, to front-line health workers, community leaders, and parents, who work behind the scenes to ensure that millions of children in India receive life-saving vaccines.
