HS Secretary Alex Azar joined top health officials and global health partners at a World Health Assembly side event to look at ways to boost public trust in vaccines as our most reliable front line defense against disease. WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered closing remarks at the event entitled “Promoting Vaccine Confidence: Enhancing Global Immunization Efforts to Protect the Health of all Generations.” “Vaccines are some of the most thoroughly tested medical products we have,” said Secretary Azar in opening remarks at the event. “Vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving. But around the world, complacency among the public, coupled with misunderstanding and misinformation, is causing vaccination rates to decline, with tragic results.” Speakers at the event included EU Commissioner Dr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, Dr. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, Minister of Health, Brazil; Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada; Prof. Dr. Alexandru Rafila, Romania, Member of WHO Executive Board, Dr. Seth Berkley CEO, GAVI Vaccine Alliance and Prof. Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine. The event was moderated by Dr. Katherine O’Brien, Director, Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, WHO.
