Vaccinology

Vaccines are among the most successful tools available for protecting public health, but effective vaccines are still lacking for many infectious diseases that are important in Africa – including HIV, viruses that cause major outbreaks in African populations, and parasitic diseases including worm infections. As well, vaccines work better in some communities than others, with poor communities in rural, low-income, tropical settings often at a disadvantage. Our theme will contribute to • Developing new vaccines of particular importance for Africa, and testing them in clinical trials – for example vaccines against viruses such as Rift Valley Fever which causes outbreaks among humans and farm animals in East Africa, and against debilitating worm infections such as schistosomiasis • Understanding how best to employ vaccines in Africa – for example how vaccines can be combined with other preventive measures against HIV, or what the most appropriate dosing schedules are for particular age groups and needs • Investigating why some vaccines work differently in different communities, and working with communities to develop strategies that enable them to benefit from vaccines to the full • Understanding how different communities learn about, understand and perceive vaccines, and what makes people confident to use them • Building vaccine research expertise among African researchers This work will contribute to ensuring that African communities secure the maximum possible benefit from vaccines.