OVERVIEW

Health Effects of Vaccines: From Genomics to Policy is organized by Wellcome Connecting Science Courses and Conferences and will be held from May 11 - 13, 2026 at Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom.

Description:
Vaccines have revolutionised global health - but their impact extends far beyond protection against specific pathogens.

This international conference will, for the first time, bring together the fields of immunomodulatory off-target effects and vaccine safety, exploring how vaccines influence health more broadly and how these effects can inform the design of safer and more effective vaccination programmes. By connecting expertise in immunology, genomics, epidemiology, regulation, and policy, the meeting will create a shared space to examine emerging data and methodologies that reveal how immune, molecular, and genetic mechanisms underpin broader vaccine outcomes.

The programme will include keynote lectures, thematic sessions, and interactive discussions covering mechanistic and population-level perspectives, real-world evidence needs, regulatory and policy implications, and effective communication of complex vaccine science. With a focus on collaboration, the event will also provide opportunities for early-career researchers and colleagues from diverse global regions to engage and contribute.

Delivered in partnership with the Optimmunize Consortium, this meeting builds on international efforts to understand how vaccines shape health across the lifespan in both sexes — and how that knowledge can guide evidence-based regulation, communication, and policy.