In our Coffee with an Expert section, we had the distinct honor of speaking with Professor Mariagrazia Pizza. Dr. Mariagrazia Pizza is Professor of Microbiology and Co-Director of the Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology (CBRB) at Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus. Before joining Imperial, she served as Senior Scientific Director for Bacterial Vaccines at GSK and Head of Research at the GSK Vaccine Institute for Global Health (GVGH). With over 30 years of experience in vaccine R&D, Dr. Pizza has led multiple bacterial vaccine programs and collaborated with leading vaccinologists worldwide, including the development of the first acellular pertussis vaccine. She pioneered the reverse vaccinology approach that led to the discovery and development of the Meningococcal B vaccine, introduced in the UK in 2015 for newborns. Dr. Pizza has authored over 250 publications, holds 70 patents, and received multiple honors, including the IVI–SK Bioscience Park MahnHoon Award (2023). She is an elected member of EMBO, the European Academy of Microbiology, and the Academia Europaea, as well as Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and member of WHO’s PDVAC. Her current research focuses on Klebsiella pneumoniae, investigating new virulence factors and antigens to guide future vaccine strategies against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
In this edition’s Editor’s Corner, we explore “Understanding the Antivaccine Movement: Sentiments, Hesitancy, Misinformation, and Strategies for Evidence-Based Communication.” The article begins with a concise overview of antivaccine groups, illustrated with examples linked to specific diseases, and then delves into current trends in vaccine hesitancy, online misinformation, political influences, and related challenges. It concludes by highlighting potential solutions such as community engagement, balancing data with empathy, and addressing vaccine fatigue to strengthen public trust in immunization.
Our Best Practice section presents the current Influenza vaccination for the 2025–2026 season in the Northern Hemisphere and the 2026 season in the Southern Hemisphere in the context of potential B/Yamagata lineage extinction.
Finally, in our Guest Contributor section, we are delighted to feature an insightful editorial by Dr. Rolando Ulloa-Gutierrez, from the Hospital Nacional de Niños “Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera”, and member of the Academia Nacional de Medicina de Costa Rica. Dr. Ulloa-Gutierrez is also the leader of REKAMLATINA and the Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MISC) in Latin American network, with hundreds of international publications, whom summarizes the current situation of MISC and why children need to be vaccinated vs SARS-CoV-2.
As always, this issue features carefully curated and up-to-date information on the ‘Latest Scientific Publications’ along with the most recent and important ‘News and Alerts’.
We hope you find this October issue both informative and engaging, and we look forward to continuing this shared commitment to advancing global health and building a healthier planet.