International Roundtable on Vaccination
Start Date: July 1, 2021
End Date: July 1, 2021
Location: Online
One of the greatest achievements of modern medicine, vaccines have been proven to save millions of lives and protect millions more from getting sick each year. And never in our lifetimes has the development of safe, effective vaccines taken center stage in the global arena as prominently as it has during the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
The current pandemic has amplified some of the challenges already associated with vaccination – from the hurdles that impede equitable global distribution of vaccine doses to unfounded vaccine skepticism and mistrust.
To address these issues and send a clear message to the world about the necessity and life-saving potential of vaccines, the World Medical Association (WMA), the German Medical Association (GMA), and the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAL) are teaming up to host the International Roundtable on Vaccination.
The symposium will be held as an exclusive webinar featuring a small group of leading experts in the field of immunization, preceded by a virtual live press conference facilitated by the press center of the Holy See.
The webinar will be headlined by:
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (confirmed)
Dr Andrea Ammon, Director, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (confirmed)
Prof. Stefano Semplici, Tor Vergata University of Rome (confirmed)
And will feature brief introductions from senior representatives of the co-organizers.
Registration will be open to members of the World Medical Association, the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, along with other selected experts and stakeholders in the field. The press conference will be open to reporters and journalists credentialed by the Vatican Press Office.
International Roundtable on Vaccination – Register here
Thursday, 1 July 2021*
Draft Program
| 13:00 – 13:10 | Brief intro, housekeeping information, introduction of speakers Dr Ramin Parsa-Parsi, GMA |
| 13:10 – 13:25 | Welcome session WMA: Dr David Barbe, President GMA: Dr Klaus Reinhardt, President PAL: Archbishop Msgr Vincenzo Paglia, President |
| 13:25 – 13:35 | Ensuring vaccine equity in the Covid-19 pandemic Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization |
| 13:35 – 13:45 | Viable solutions to vaccine hesitancy Dr Andrea Ammon, Director, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control |
| 13:45 – 13:55 | Individual freedom of choice and common good Prof. Stefano Semplici, Tor Vergata University of Rome |
| 13:55 – 15:00 | Closing statement / Panel discussion with Q&A Dr Demetre Daskalakis, Deputy Incident Manager and Senior Lead, Equity in COVID Data and Engagement, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prof. Dr Frank Ulrich Montgomery, Chair of Council, WMA |
*All times are Central European Time.