Third Chinese Vaccinology Course (CNVAC 3) successfully concludes

Hosted by the Savaid Medical School of the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-organized by the Graduate School of the China CDC, the Third Chinese Vaccinology Course (CNVAC 3) was held in Duke Kunshan University from Oct 15 to 17, 2021.

The three-day course gathered nearly 100 world famous vaccinologists, academicians of biomedical health and other experts.

Members from CDCs at all levels, health supervision organizations, universities, research institutes and vaccine enterprises took part in the course, which also received support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

George F. Gao, director-general of the China CDC, noted that the course is China's first full-chain vaccinology training course promoting vaccine development and research as well as the production, supervision and use of vaccines, and is important in enhancing cooperation, communication and understanding for the development of global vaccinology.

He said that effective prevention and control of infectious diseases is critical for building a community of common health for mankind. The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the world highlights the importance of vaccines, and vaccination is the most economical and effective means for infectious disease prevention and control.

Chang Xiaolin, vice president of Duke Kunshan University, Dr. Walter Orenstein, associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center and Dr. Xu Fujie, deputy director of the China Office of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also gave speeches at the opening ceremony. They highlighted the importance of the vaccinology course from different perspectives, including enhancing communication and cooperation and promoting vaccine research and delivery.

The vaccinology course was taught by a team of domestic and overseas experts on vaccine research and delivery from the China CDC, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, among other universities, institutions and bio-pharmaceutical enterprises.

The course covers epidemiology, the application of innovative technologies in vaccine development, clinical research and implementation of vaccines, market evaluation and supervision of vaccines, mass production of vaccines and related matters.

Students were divided into groups to conduct case analyses and discussions focused on the value of epidemiological surveillance models for epidemic prevention and control, vaccine target product summaries and R&D strategy, clinical study and implementation, and herd immunity.

Three sessions of the Chinese Vaccinology Course have been held since 2018. More than 50 trainees from various vaccine institutions attended the third session.