April "Current Issues in Vaccines" webinar

Registration is now open for the next “Current Issues in Vaccines” webinar. Scheduled for April 3, 2024, at noon ET, Dr. Offit will discuss:

  • Covid-19 Vaccine Myths: And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'

Find out more or register today.

The “Current Issues in Vaccines” series is supported by the Thomas F. McNair Scott Endowed Research and Lectureship Fund and co-sponsored in collaboration with the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University.

Vaccines and college health panel discussion

The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) is partnering with PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to host a virtual discussion, "Improving Campus Health — Building on Research to Increase Vaccination Rates." 

The discussion will occur on Thursday, March 14 from 11 a.m. – noon ET and will include a virtual conversation with adolescent and young adult health, vaccine, and policy experts to discuss the challenges college health administrators face when addressing vaccination rates on campuses, what on-the-ground implementation of these recommendations looks like for administrators, and how researchers, students, college health administrators and others can partner to strengthen vaccine uptake among college students.

Panelists will include:

  • Kristen A. Feemster, MD, MPH, MSHPR, FAAP, Faculty scholar at PolicyLab; Director of Research, VEC; Executive Director of Global Medical and Scientific Affairs for Pneumococcal Vaccines, Merck
  • Ashlee Halbritter, MPH, Executive Director of Public Health and Well-being, University of Pennsylvania
  • Jonathan Pletcher, MD, Medical Director of Inpatient Services for the Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, CHOP; Associate Professor, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
  • Samantha Ratner, Founder, Know Your Vaccines; Head of the Student Vaccine Working Group on Ethics and Policy; Clinical Research Assistant, Department of Clinical Genetics, Columbia University
  • Charlotte A. Moser, MS, Co-Director, VEC, and Rebecka Rosenquist, MSc, Health Policy Director, PolicyLab, CHOP (moderators)

Find out more or register today.

New videos

The VEC recently released the following videos:

Tell Me When It’s Over: An Insider’s Guide to Deciphering COVID Myths and Navigating Our Post-Pandemic World

Dr. Offit’s latest book is now available from retail booksellers (Amazon | Barnes & Noble). The Penguin Random House website includes links to several other booksellers.

The Hilleman Chronicle discusses the gift of maternal antibodies

The February 2024 issue of The Hilleman Chronicle, the VEC’s newsletter for science and history enthusiasts, featured a discussion on the importance of maternal antibodies. The article reviewed the development of the immune system during gestation and in the weeks after birth, offering a framework for the importance of maternal antibodies in newborns. The discussion then turned attention to how maternal antibodies and the immunization schedule are brought together to ensure that babies are protected as maternal antibodies wane. The final section discussed how vaccination during pregnancy has been used in a small number of scenarios to ensure that babies are protected from diseases that are particularly harmful to newborns.

Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.

You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.