HR4RS stamp
rose marquez
The COVID19 pandemic demonstrated the decisive role of vaccines in controlling epidemics and reducing mortality, but it also revealed the misgivings of a part of the population, which mistrusts both their benefits and the intentions of pharmaceutical companies. . In order to publicize the latest advances in this field and encourage a critical debate among experts, the Rey Juan Carlos University presents the seminar 'Advanced Vaccine Course', which will be held on June 29 and 30 on the campus of Aranjuez.
“In terms of public health, the good of the community must prevail, hence vaccines are a matter of State that must be supported by both the central government and the regional governments, but they also require an exercise of generosity on the part of the population. . A healthy person may not need to be immunized, but by doing so they will avoid infecting elderly or immunocompromised people whom the virus could kill”, explains Ángel Gil, professor of Preventive Medicine and coordinator of the High Performance and Innovation Research Group in Clinical Epidemiology and community of the URJC.
One of the presentations of the course will be dedicated to climate change and its consequences on health. “The parallels of the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn are widening, we have increasingly hot summers and this change in climate favors the transmission of infectious diseases such as the Zika virus, dengue fever or malaria. It is an issue that must be studied, because tomorrow we may need vaccines that, until now, were only required to travel to tropical countries, ”adds Gil.
Among the speakers who will participate in this summer course, which is now in its third edition, is Dr. Octavio Ramilo, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, one of the world's leading experts in respiratory viruses. The number of attendees, which was initially limited to forty places, has had to be increased due to the high demand for participants.