Vaccines & Epidemiology
Tuesday 1 September 2009
BMB - 457007
Period: week 36 +37
EC’s: 3
Course description
This course combines a state-of-the-art overview of the diverse facettes of vaccines with a focussed introduction to epidemiology of infectious diseases.
Basics of vaccination
Vaccines and immune response, antigen processing and epitope selection (through MHC) selection of vaccine epitopes through MHC, mucosal immune responses and vaccines. New developments in adjuvants
Specific vaccines
Pandemic Influenza, A novel vaccine against bovine paratuberculosis, HIV vaccine: stepping back to the drawing board.
Vaccine technology – innovation and future aspects
Autoimmune disease vaccination, tumor vaccination, needle free delivery, targeting to DCs, lipids, mycobacteria, non-classical ag presentation, Self exploding delivery systems and hollow capsules
Vaccination policy
Interactive session chaired by a member of the Health Council and a ethicist on how to structure a vaccination campaign: Should we do all that is possible?
Safety aspects of increasing vaccine exposure
Excursion to Central Veterinary Institute Lelystad, which includes a tour through the facilities and lectures by experts about Avian influenza: reverse genetics and vaccine development, Development and use of DIVA – vaccines against classical swine fever, Current status and future perspectives of Rift Valley fever vaccines, Tuberculosis vaccines.
The second part of the course will start with an introduction on Infectious Disease Epidemiology. Topics like validity and precision and the role of genotyping in epidemiology will be addressed in lectures and a computer-based tutorial. Epidemiology of several viral infections (hepatitis B, HPV, influenza) is highlighted and the use of cohort and case control studies discussed. The use of medical technology will be assessed in a lecture followed by an example about rapid diagnostics for MRSA. The concluding lecture will deal with Evidence Based Medicine.