The Immunisation Coalition recently celebrated a significant milestone, marking the 25th anniversary of its Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) at the ParkRoyal Hotel in Melbourne. This landmark event, initially the only national conference on influenza in Australia, has grown in scope to encompass a wide array of topics related to vaccine-preventable diseases, future pandemics, vaccine innovation and safety, and more. Reflecting on its history, the ASM has evolved from its beginnings in 1992 when Dr. Brendan Nelson, then Vice President of the AMA, initiated the first national influenza awareness campaign. The keynote speaker, Dr. Alan Hampson of the WHO Collaboration Centre, later established the Influenza Specialist Group (ISG), which became the Immunisation Coalition in 2016.
This year’s hybrid event witnessed participation from over 100 in-person attendees and more than 400 online participants across two days. The diverse group of attendees included clinicians, immunisation nurses, pharmacists, scientists, vaccine manufacturers, and academics, all coming together to share and discuss the latest advancements in immunology and vaccination.
The program, developed by Professor Robert Booy, Chair of the IC Scientific Advisory Committee, and his colleagues, attracted expert speakers from Australia and overseas. These discussions were facilitated by Professor Louis Irving, who chaired the inaugural ISG Annual Scientific Meeting in 1999 and returned to chair the 25th ASM. Prof Irving said, “It has been such a privilege to be involved in this event over the past 25 years. The advancements we have seen in immunology have been astounding, and it is not by coincidence that the Nobel Prize last year was awarded in the field of immunology for the development of mRNA technology”.
Mr Kim Sampson, recently retired CEO of the IC and current Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza (APACI) said: “I am very proud of the achievements we have collectively made, and this 25th anniversary represents the culmination of that work.”
The event underscored the expertise of speakers who enriched discussions on the importance of immunisation and vaccination against preventable infectious diseases. We would like to express our gratitude to all the speakers, as well as Professor Robert Booy and Professor Louis Irving, for their invaluable contributions. Our thanks also extend to the attendees, moderators, delegates, and sponsors, whose engagement and support were instrumental in making this milestone event a success.
The Immunisation Coalition is pleased to announce the release of a special edition conference newsletter dedicated to our 25th Annual Scientific Meeting. This comprehensive edition features a summary of each presentation, complemented by direct links to their corresponding video recordings.
This newsletter serves as an invaluable resource for individuals who were unable to attend the event in person or wish to revisit the insights shared by our esteemed speakers.
