In our “Coffee with the Expert” section, Vaccines Beat—as moderators of key discussions at the World Vaccine Congress 2026 (March 30–April 2, Washington, D.C.)—had the opportunity to engage leading experts ahead of the panel: “Future-Proofing Health – Vaccines Against Climate Threats, Food Insecurity, and Antimicrobial Resistance.” The panel was chaired by our Chief Editor, Dr. Enrique Chacon-Cruz, and featured an outstanding multidisciplinary group: Dr. Montserrat Arroyo Kuribreña, Deputy Director General for International Standards and Implementation at World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), is a veterinarian with a Master’s in Preventive Veterinary Medicine from University of California, Davis. Her career has focused on foreign animal disease prevention, trade, and zoonoses, with senior leadership roles in Mexican Veterinary Services and across WOAH. Dr. Rino Rappuoli, a global leader in vaccine R&D, has over four decades of contributions, including the development of CRM for conjugate vaccines and the pioneering of reverse vaccinology. He currently serves as Scientific Director of the Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, Italy’s national initiative for pandemic preparedness. Dr. Clarisse Ingabire, veterinarian and global livestock specialist at the World Bank, brings more than 15 years of experience advancing One Health, climate-smart livestock systems, and sustainable animal health across LMICs, driving policy, technical assistance, and investment. Dr. Peter Hotez, physician-scientist and global health leader at Baylor College of Medicine, is a recognized authority in vaccinology and neglected tropical diseases, and a leading advocate for vaccine equity and global health. This session highlighted a truly multidisciplinary perspective on the interconnected challenges facing our planet—and the critical role of vaccines as a unifying solution.
In our “Editor’s Corner” section, we highlight the re-emergence of DNA vaccines as a fast, scalable, and increasingly precise platform. Advances in synthetic biology and delivery technologies have overcome past limitations, positioning DNA vaccines as a versatile tool for infectious diseases, cancer, and future pandemic preparedness.
In our “Best Practice” section, we highlight current strategies for pneumococcal vaccination in children, emphasizing the evolution toward higher-valency conjugate vaccines, WHO-recommended dosing schedules (2+1 or 3+0), and tailored approaches based on local epidemiology. High vaccine coverage, appropriate scheduling, and strategic catch-up programs remain essential to sustain reductions in invasive pneumococcal disease and optimize population-level protection.
Finally, in our “Guest Contributor” section, Dr. Mahmud Sheku, MPH, MS, PhD, together with Drs. Van Meter Connor, Robert A. Bednarczyk, PhD, Katherine Seib, MSPH, Emilia Grill, MPH, and Benjamin A. Lopman, PhD, from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, present a summary of a novel tool called “VaxImpact: An Interactive Web App Quantifying the Health and Economic Consequences of Declining Childhood Vaccination Across U.S. States.”
As always, this issue features carefully curated and up-to-date information on the “Latest Scientific Publication”’ along with the most recent and important “News and Alerts”.
We hope you find this April issue both informative and engaging, and we look forward to continuing this shared commitment to advancing global health and building a healthier planet.
