On Friday 7th June the Vaccine Centre hosted a joint symposium to exhibit the cutting-edge vaccine-policy related research collaborations ongoing between the UK and China. 

Delegates from China were visiting the UK as part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded grant EPIC (a Global Health Research Group Evidence to Policy pathway to Immunisation in China). This is a collaboration between LSHTM, Fudan University, Public Health England and the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Prior to the symposium, delegates had visited Public Health England, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and an NHS immunisation clinic to observe the UK immunisation programme from evidence synthesis through to delivery.

Speakers included Prof Dame Anne Mills (LSHTM), Prof Mark Jit (LSHTM), Prof Hongjie Yu (Fudan University), Prof Beate Kampmann (LSHTM), Prof John Edmunds (LSHTM), Joanne Yarwood (Public Health England), Dr Zhijie An (China CDC) and other senior members of China CDC. 

Prof Mark Jit gave an overview of the project, which aims to conduct applied vaccine research to help decision makers in China build a vaccination programme that ensures reliable, affordable, equitable and uninterrupted supply of vaccines to the Chinese population.

Delegates from both countries then gave a series of talks about current research, policy and evaluation, as well as the challenges facing public health.

Discussion was focused around the importance of robust disease surveillance systems and modelling to inform effective decision making; the recent resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio; and the high-quality vaccine research ongoing outside of the UK and China at MRC Gambia.

The event was recorded and can be accessed using this link.