Welcome to the WSPID 2022 Virtual Congress Calendar

Global Emerging Infectious Diseases (GEIDs): Focus on arbovirus outbreaks and epidemics - Symposium Supported by MSDSession Description:The purpose of this symposium is to inform the audience through the sharing of experience of international experts on Dengue, Chikungunya, Hemorrhagic Fever viruses, and other global emerging infectious diseases, with focus on arboviruses. It will also discuss the surveillance and importance of correct and accurate diagnosis and impact of climate change on global emerging infectious diseases and the potential of climate data for forecasting epidemics and implementation of preventing measures.

Immunization as a framework for improving adolescent health - Symposium Supported by SanofiSession Description:Adolescents aged 10–19 years represent around 16% of the global population yet they are the least frequent consumers of preventive healthcare. Their vaccination rates also lag those of younger children.The majority of morbidity and mortality in adolescents relates to what they are thinking, doing, and feeling. These problems include mental health issues, unintentional injuries, and interpersonal violence. Without regular preventive health visits, these issues are neither assessed nor addressed. Immunization platforms – routine health visits for administration of recommended vaccines – have long served to enact the age-based vaccine schedule and provide opportunities for anticipatory guidance and health supervision, especially in pediatric practice. A global adolescent immunization platform would provide similar benefits for adolescents, enhancing their health by providing protection against vaccine-preventable diseases during adolescence and adulthood, and by acting as a hook to bring them into the doctor’s office for other preventive services. In this symposium the expert panel will discuss the role of immunization platforms as a means to bring adolescents into the healthcare setting, providing opportunities for HCPs to assess and support their overall health and wellbeing. The faculty will also review the important principles for adolescent health supervision and anticipatory guidance, including screening for psychosocial concerns.

Keeping our guard up: Addressing the global burden of Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) – current and future directions - Symposium Supported by SanofiSession Description:This Sanofi Pasteur sponsored session aims to raise awareness of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) as a rare but highly unpredictable and potentially devastating disease and global public health concern. It will highlight the global challenges in preventing disease, including progress in the WHO goals to defeat meningitis and ensuring appropriate prevention approaches. It will also focus on the current and future epidemiology of IMD in the context of COVID-19 and introduce the current status and future directions in potentially reducing the impact of disease globally.

Symposium organised and supported with an education grant provided by Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationSession Description:This session will focus on novel aspects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). It will describe new, expanded-valency vaccines for children currently in clinical trials as well as more affordable options to improve sustainability of PCV programs.

Taking control over Meningococcal Disease: Is now the time? - Symposium Supported by PfizerSession Description:This symposium will:•Appeal for support for the WHO Roadmap on defeating meningitis •Highlight the effects of vaccination in S America •Show how IMD can be prevented and the need for more comprehensive vaccines