VARN2023

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The Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) hosted its second  conference co-convened with UNICEF and co-sponsored by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and in support of COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership priority countries. Visit the conference website. 

Keynote dialogue speakers discussed their experiences related to the conference’s core themes: vaccine equity, reimagining essential childhood immunization & life-course vaccination:

• Deepa Risal Pokharel, Senior Adviser, Social and Behavior Change/Team Lead Immunization Demand, UNICEF
• Dr. Sangwe Clovis Nchinjoh, MD, MPH, MSc, Founder and Board President, Rural Doctors & Associate at Clinton Health Access Initiative,
• Dr. Saad Omer, Director, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• Lillyan Mutua, Head of Health Promotion in Nairobi City County
• Dr. Glenda Gray, President, South African Medical Research Council
• Moderated by Anuradha Gupta, President, Global Immunization, Sabin Vaccine Institute

Follow #VARN2023 on social media to see what conference attendees had to say.

WATCH HERE

about the conference

VARN2023 conference sessions provided a space for exploration and facilitated the wide dissemination of a growing body of knowledge, practice, and evidence-informed strategies for driving action across the vaccination acceptance, demand, and delivery ecosystem. Recorded sessions are available on the conference website.

VARN2023 provided an opportunity for the sharing of knowledge from research and practice, as well as agenda setting around three core themes:

1. Vaccine equity: setting a new course for reaching marginalized and zero-dose communities, conflict-settings, and reducing gender barriers
2. Reimagining essential childhood immunization: a reversal of current trends and improved integration into comprehensive health service delivery programs (from policy to community-level responses)
3.  Life-course immunization: extending the opportunities of COVID-19 vaccination investments to integrate, expand and strengthen LCI (HPV vaccination, future pandemic preparedness, and healthy aging).

VARN2023 offered specific conference sessions focused on both vaccine demand generation and social listening to mitigate rumors and misinformation about vaccines and vaccination, as these critical components cut across all core themes.

VARN2023 provided live audio interpretation in French and English for all sessions. All posters in English and French had translated abstract handouts provided.

Explore the VARN2022 conference report and recordings for insights from last year’s convening.