Global Health and Mass Vaccination: Current Challenges and the Best Way Forward (in French) - with Pierre Druilhe, MD
Main points
Unequivocal support for vaccines (examples of tetanus and yellow fever)
Criteria for good vaccination
Problem of misinformation on the internet (examples: aluminum hydroxide, measles)
International vaccination requirements protect first and foremost a country not the individual
Mass vaccination and COVID-19
Variants are selected by immunity pressure coming from mass vaccination and immunity gained from infection (asymptomatic or not)
Possibility of the emergence of more virulent strains: Usually, in a pandemic the evolution is toward less pathogenic mutants
Low mortality in Africa may be due to protective immune cross-reaction between the COVID-19 virus and coronaviruses causing seasonal rhinitis (4 different types)
The current vaccines protect much more against death and severe forms of the disease than infection
One should stop talking about antibodies
A “universal” vaccine would take 3 years to develop
There is a need for both vaccines and antiviral drugs
Malaria
BIO
Dr. Druilhe is a physician, immunologist, parasitologist, inventor and entrepreneur. He started his research career at the Department of Tropical Medicine of the Pitie Salpetriere Hospital, where he initiated many first-of-a-kind malaria research experiments, including the first cultures of the pre-erythrocytic stages of the malaria parasites, characterization and cloning of P. falciparum liver stages antigens, and the investigation of natural immunity to malaria blood stages through passive transfer of African adult immunoglobulin in Thai individuals with malaria.
For over 20 years (1987-2011), he led the Laboratoire de Parasitologie Bio-Medicale at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, where he pursued his scientific strategy of analysis of immunity to malaria in humans and where he and his team made major discoveries, identified novel mechanisms, not foreseen in animal models, and important molecules believed to be responsible for malaria immunity in humans.
His work covers the wide breadth of vaccine research and development, including involvement in the organization and conduct of 8 vaccine clinical trials. He has authored around 330 Scientific Publications and holds more than 23 patents on inventions.
His main scientific interests have been and remain the analysis of host-parasite immune interactions in human beings, and the pre-eminence of clinical investigations over those performed in animal models.
In December 2010, using a combination of private funds and public grants, he created Vac4All with the aim of capitalizing on >25 years of experience in malaria research, and speeding-up malaria vaccine development.
Dr. Druilhe directs and oversees all company strategic, scientific and technical direction.
https://www.vac4all.org/home/about-us/
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free