Vaccination in crises

When vaccinating in humanitarian crises, satisficing should no longer suffice. How do we proceed to meet the vaccine needs of the most vulnerable and neglected? Open guest lecture with Rebecca F. Grais.

Potrait of Rebecca Grais

Rebecca F. Grais is the Director of Research at Epicentre, the epidemiology and research arm of Médecins Sans Frontières.

There are more possible vaccination interventions to mitigate the adverse health consequences of populations in crises than ever before, but recent reviews suggest delivering these vaccines has been fraught with difficulty. The decision to implement vaccination interventions in crises remains, more often than not, an exercise in satisficing.

The sparse credible epidemiologic and effectiveness data in populations affected by crises contributes greatly to decision-making difficulty as do the limits of vaccine presentations, formulations and storage. Political considerations and lack of decision-making guidance contribute further.

Moving forward requires sound effectiveness studies to help ensure that decision-making is based to the degree possible on substance. Further, new pathways to bringing much needed vaccines to vulnerable populations are needed.

Bio

Rebecca Freeman Grais is the Director of Research at Epicentre, the epidemiology and research arm of Médecins Sans Frontières.

Trained in epidemiology, public policy, microbiology and applied mathematics , she performed her post-doctoral studies at the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, US and INSERM, France. Her primary areas of research has focus on prevention of infectious diseases among vulnerable populations.  She has particularly focused on vaccination in response to epidemics as well as on population-based studies of the effectiveness of preventive measures.

Field Research

  • Vaccination in humanitarian crises: satisficing should no longer suffice
Published Mar. 4, 2015 9:58 AM - Last modified Feb. 3, 2022 1:50 PM