The FAMHP and pharma.be are organising two half-day symposia on vaccines on 10 and 12 May 2022. The first day will focus on the FAMHP and the VACCINES spearhead. This will cover topics such as clinical trials, regulatory activities, pharmacovigilance, and inspections. The second day will focus on effective vaccination, before closely examining the way vaccination campaigns are organised and implemented, vaccine hesitancy, and data collection. You can register now.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of immunisation in combating infectious diseases. The national competent authorities and the pharmaceutical industry have worked intensively to provide the population with safe and effective vaccines against the coronavirus.
On 10 and 12 May 2022, the FAMHP and pharma.be are organising a symposium on the various activities being undertaken to not only make vaccines available, but also to encourage their acceptance with a view to protecting public health, our healthcare system and society as a whole.
Practical information
• Attendance at both half-day sessions is free of charge but registration is required. You must register for each half-day session you wish to attend using the online forms: 10 May and 12 May.
• Presentations will be given in English.
• Each symposium will start at 9.00 and end at around 13.10.
• The symposium will be held at the Pacheco Center, Boulevard Pacheco 13, BRUSSELS.
Programme
10 May: From concept to vaccines (organised by the FAMHP)
Focus on the activities of the FAMHP and the VACCINES spearhead, covering topics such as clinical trials, regulatory activities, pharmacovigilance, and inspections.
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 09.00-09.15 | Registration of attendees and welcome coffee | |
| 09.15-09.30 | Welcome | Xavier De Cuyper, Chief Executive Officer of the FAMHP |
| 09.30-10.00 | COVID-19 vaccine trials performed in Belgium and regulatory perspective | Nele Steens Head of the Research and Development Division (human use), FAMHP |
| 10.00-10.30 | Setting up vaccine clinical trials in a pandemic context: experience from study site | Fien De Boever Clinical Unit Manager CEVAC- UZ Gent |
| 10.30-11.00 | Perspective for the future: Vaccinopolis and bioprepardness initiative | Pierre Van Damme Universiteit Antwerpen |
| 11.00-11.30 | Pause | |
| 11.30-12.00 | European marketing authorization procedure in a pandemic context: challenges and learning | Christophe Focke Cel CP, member CHMP, FAMHP |
| 12.00-12.30 | Follow up of vaccine safety and lessons learned | Jean-Michel Dogné Université de Namur |
| 12.30-13.00 | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inspection activities | Karin Froidbise Head of the Industry Division, FAMHP |
| 13.00 | Conclusies | Stéphanie Mali Coordinator of Vaccines Center of Excellence, FAMHP |
12 May: From vaccines to vaccination (organised by pharma.be)
Focus on effective vaccination by examining how regional authorities organise and implement their vaccination campaigns, tackle vaccine hesitancy, and collect data on vaccine uptake.
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 09.00-09.30 | Registration of attendees and welcome coffee | |
| 09.30-09.45 | The importance of Belgium as a pharma valley to ensure effective life course vaccination | TBD |
| 09.45-10.25 | The benefits of vaccines: getting the message across | Dr. Nicolas Dauby CHU Saint-Pierre |
|
10.25-11.00 |
An analysis of the Belgian vaccine landscape | Ingrid Maes Inovigate |
| 11.00-11.30 | Pause |
|
| 11.30-12.20 | Introducing new vaccines to the public – Challenges and solutions |
Bart Croes Julie Therasse |
| 12.20-13.00 | Collecting data on vaccination as tool to support decision making | Joris Van Loenhout Sciensano |
| 13.00 | Conclusions | Hugues Malonne Director general of the DG PRE authorisation, FAMHP |
Based on all these experiences, the symposium will also offer an opportunity to consider future developments. How can we use the expertise of the VACCINES spearhead to strengthen Belgium's position in the development of new vaccines? Can regulatory pathways be altered to optimise the evaluation process? What data do we need to support authorities in their decision-making? In short, what changes are needed to make the lifelong vaccination of Belgian patients as effective as possible?