International Vaccine Institute

📣 We are now accepting applications for fellows and participants in the IVI International Vaccinology Course.

This year, we proudly present the 25th edition of this flagship training course, taking place 31 August – 4 September across three cities IVI calls home: Seoul, Kigali, and Stockholm. The course brings together researchers, global health practitioners, and students for an immersive learning experience spanning immunology, clinical development, epidemiology, and beyond.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.ivi.int/our-impact/international-vaccinology-course/international-vaccinology-course-2026/

🎓 Vaccinology Fellowship
The IVI Vaccinology Fellowship is open to researchers from low- and middle-income countries who are working, studying, or conducting research in vaccinology. Selected fellows who demonstrate leadership potential in public health receive full financial support to attend the course. Apply by 24 May 2026.

📝 General Registration
Researchers, practitioners, and students in vaccinology and related fields are invited to register for the course. Register by 31 July 2026.

Through expert-led lectures, group work, and field trips, participants gain both technical knowledge and practical experience while building connections with peers and leaders in the field from around the world.

IVI’s collaboration with Zambia continues to deepen, reflecting a shared ambition to strengthen vaccine research, development, and manufacturing capacity across Africa.

Dr. Douglas Shaffer, Deputy Director General of Global Affairs and Communications and Special Envoy for Global Health Diplomacy, met with Ms. Etambuyu Anamela Gundersen, Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation. They discussed advancing vaccine research and development efforts and continued support for the ACHIEVE Africa initiative.

In a meeting with Prof. Roma Chilengi, Director General of the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), discussions included opportunities to expand collaboration as well as progress in ongoing partnerships, such as IVI's innovative efforts in oral cholera vaccine development in and with Zambia.

Together, IVI and Zambia reaffirm their commitment to building a robust vaccine ecosystem while strengthening regional collaboration and public health resilience.

IVI’s partnership with Zambia continues to advance shared priorities in vaccine research, development, and health security across Africa.

Dr. Douglas Shaffer, Deputy Director General of Global Affairs and Communications and Special Envoy for Global Health Diplomacy, had the honor of meeting with Dr. Alex Katakwe, Minister of Health of Zambia, to further discuss opportunities to advance vaccine R&D and expand capacity-building on the continent. The discussion builds on the launch of ACHIEVE Africa, co-hosted by the Government of Zambia on the sidelines of the African Union Summit earlier this year, which brought together governments and partners to accelerate an African-led effort to strengthen the continent’s end-to-end ecosystem for vaccines and biologics.

IVI strengthens its leadership in vaccine development and preparedness with the appointment of Dr. In-Kyu Yoon as Deputy Director General of Integrated Development and Pandemic/Outbreak Readiness.

Dr. Yoon brings over 25 years of experience in vaccine research and development, epidemic preparedness, and global scientific leadership. Having previously served at IVI as Deputy Director General of Science, Director of the Dengue Vaccine Initiative, and Senior Scientific Advisor, as well as in senior R&D leadership roles at CEPI, he brings deep institutional knowledge and global experience to this role.

As Deputy Director General of the newly established Integrated Development and Pandemic/Outbreak Readiness unit, Dr. Yoon will lead the strategic coordination of innovation, new initiatives, partnership development, and capacity strengthening, supporting IVI’s preparedness for emerging health threats and advancing vaccine solutions for both outbreak and endemic diseases.

Read the full announcement: https://www.ivi.int/ivi-appoints-in-kyu-yoon-as-deputy-director-general-of-integrated-development-and-pandemic-outbreak-readiness/

Applications are now open for the IVI 2026 Internship Program.

Our program offers students and recent graduates a unique opportunity to gain hands-on educational experience in global health, working alongside experts across scientific, programmatic, and operational areas.

What you’ll gain
• Practical experience in global public health projects
• Exposure to multidisciplinary teams within an international organization
• Opportunities for professional growth in a mission-driven environment

📍 Location: Seoul, Republic of Korea (on-site preferred; limited remote opportunities available)
📅 Duration: 4 to 16 weeks
🗓️ Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis through April

If you are passionate about improving global health and want to contribute to impactful work, we encourage you to apply.

Apply now: https://www.ivi.int/careers/ivi-internship-program/

“When you use a vaccine and it prevents a child from getting sick, it keeps families from falling into poverty.”
— Dr. Jerome Kim, IVI Director General

In a student-led conversation from YoGlo Talks—a podcast by youth, for youth—a young global health advocate speaks with Dr. Kim on the far-reaching impact of vaccines beyond health alone.

From vaccine equity to global collaboration and advice for the next generation, this conversation highlights the role of youth in shaping the future of global health.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAGJ9FT9xx0 or https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FNq6hbQ2RQO9jaimeqjYT?si=e8saw1fOTGev0z7bMrbjEQ

Conversations with Professionals - Dr. Jerome Kim YoGlo Talks · Episode

Bringing together national and global health leaders, a workshop in Zambia is helping inform policy decisions for more effective vaccine delivery.

IVI and partners in the country have evaluated the controlled temperature chain approach, which allows oral cholera vaccines to be safely used outside traditional cold storage for limited periods—helping to expand last-mile delivery where cold chain logistics remain a barrier.

In Lusaka, IVI and partners convened a multi-stakeholder workshop to review preliminary findings and explore how this approach can inform future immunization strategies for improved vaccine access, equity, and coverage.

Participants included representatives from Zambia’s Ministry of Health, provincial and district health offices, Zambia National Public Health Institute, Zambia Statistics Agency, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Global Task Force on Cholera Control Country Support Platform, World Health Organization Country and Regional Office for Africa, and UNICEF.

The study included a preventive mass vaccination campaign using two-dose Euvichol-Plus oral cholera vaccines (leveraging the leftover doses in Zambia from recent cholera outbreak responses), reaching approximately 100,000 people in one of country’s most remote districts. Research findings indicate improved efficiency, simpler logistics, and expanded access to hard-to-reach populations.

The Implementation Research on Controlled Temperature Chain for Oral Cholera Vaccine in Zambia project is led by IVI’s Dr. Se Eun Park, in collaboration with the Zambia Ministry of Health, Zambia National Public Health Institute, and other government bodies in Zambia, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

🔗: https://www.ivi.int/beyond-the-cold-chain-piloting-new-ways-to-improve-last-mile-delivery-and-access-to-cholera-vaccines-in-zambia/

"One thing about our business, my circle of close friends aligns fairly closely with my circle of close scientific collaborators. Friendship and science were never very far apart from each other and were very sustaining."
— Dr. John Clemens, 2026 Canada Gairdner Global Health Award laureate

Behind decades of progress in cholera prevention is a story of collaboration, shared purpose, and lasting partnerships.

We are proud to again congratulate Dr. Clemens, founding Director General and current Senior Scientific Advisor at IVI, on being named a co-recipient of the 2026 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, alongside Dr. Jan Holmgren.

They are recognized for advancing our understanding of cholera and for developing safe, effective, and affordable oral cholera vaccines that have helped enable cholera control worldwide.

Watch this video to learn more about their stories and achievements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnEnIP9J1V8

Read more: https://www.ivi.int/ivi-congratulates-dr-john-clemens-on-being-named-a-2026-john-dirks-canada-gairdner-global-health-award-laureate/

2026 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, John D. Clemens and Jan Holmgren Prof. John D. Clemens and Dr. Jan Holmgren are awarded the 2026 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award for advances in understanding cholera disease ...

Congratulations to Dr. John Clemens, founding Director General of IVI and current Senior Scientific Advisor, announced as a 2026 Canada Gairdner Global Award laureate.

This prestigious honor recognizes Dr. Clemens’ pioneering work in cholera research and the development of safe, effective, and affordable oral cholera vaccines. His leadership in large-scale field trials demonstrated that these vaccines can protect entire communities, helping shape global health policy and enabling widespread use in outbreak control and prevention.

Through both his scientific contributions and his role in establishing IVI, his work has had a lasting global impact on vaccine access and public health.

🔗 https://www.gairdner.org/winner/john-d.-clemens

Congratulations to John D. Clemens and Jan Holmgren, recipients of the 2026 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award.

They are awarded "For advances in understanding cholera disease and immunity, and for the development and evaluation of safe, effective, and affordable inactivated oral cholera vaccines that have enabled cholera control worldwide."

Full bio of Prof. Clemens: https://www.gairdner.org/winner/john-d.-clemens
Full bio of Dr. Holmgren: https://www.gairdner.org/winner/jan-holmgren

Outbreak-ready partnerships don’t begin in a crisis—they are built deliberately through sustained collaboration, shared vision, and long-term investment.

Achieving this goes beyond scientific excellence. It requires strong, well-supported ecosystems that enable partnerships to succeed—an insight reinforced during “Forging Outbreak-Ready Vaccine Partnerships: Ebola, Lassa Fever and Beyond,” convened by IVI and Hilleman Laboratories at The World Vaccine Congress in Washington, D.C. The workshop brought together global leaders to share lessons and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

Discussions highlighted that partnerships must look beyond science to the ecosystems that support them—spanning infrastructure, sustainable financing, clear roles, effective communication, and local context. Initiatives like ACHIEVE Africa reflect this shift, advancing a continent-led approach to building end-to-end R&D capacity and strengthening regional ecosystems to deliver lasting impact.

Thank you to our contributors and panelists for driving a rich and forward-looking discussion: Kay Hunsberger, Sushant Sahastrabuddhe, In-Kyu Yoon, N Erlyani Abd Hamid, Amin Khan, Michael Schunk, and Kent Kester.

Advancing new approaches to vaccine delivery requires strong alignment across national health partners.

In Zambia, IVI’s Controlled Temperature Chain for Oral Cholera Vaccine study team is evaluating how oral cholera vaccines can be safely delivered outside traditional cold storage to expand access in hard-to-reach communities.

As part of this effort, the team engaged with national health leaders to share insights on vaccine access, delivery, and broader immunization challenges and opportunities.

These discussions provided an opportunity to exchange broader perspectives on Zambia’s immunization landscape, including reaching zero-dose populations and addressing critical data gaps. They also underscored the importance of continued collaboration on joint research initiatives in the fields of vaccinology and global health, as well as knowledge sharing and the translation of research findings into policy and practice for public health impact.

Engagements included the Ministry of Health of Zambia, Zambia National Public Health Institute, National Health Research Authority, World Health Organization Country Office, and Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia.

This project is led by IVI’s Dr. Se Eun Park in collaboration with the Government of Zambia, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: https://www.ivi.int/beyond-the-cold-chain-piloting-new-ways-to-improve-last-mile-delivery-and-access-to-cholera-vaccines-in-zambia/

Um novo modelo para impulsionar a inovação em saúde no Sul Global está se consolidando.

Esta semana, no Rio de Janeiro, o IVI e o Ministro da Saúde do Brasil, Alexandre Padilha, assinaram cartas de intenção em apoio à criação do Fundo BRIGHT.

O Fundo BRIGHT (Bridging Research Investment in Global Health Technology) é uma plataforma de financiamento em desenvolvimento com múltiplos doadores, liderada pelos próprios países, projetada para acelerar o desenvolvimento, a produção e o acesso equitativo a vacinas, produtos terapêuticos, diagnósticos e inovações em saúde digital. Ao contribuir para que pesquisas promissoras avancem até a etapa de produção e distribuição, o Fundo busca fortalecer as capacidades regionais e ampliar o acesso onde ele é mais necessário.

Refletindo tanto o seu apoio quanto o crescente impulso em torno de abordagens lideradas pelos países para inovação, produção e segurança sanitária, as cartas de intenção foram assinadas no Rio de Janeiro pelo Dr. Jerome H. Kim, Diretor Geral do IVI, e por S.Exa. Alexandre Padilha, Ministro da Saúde do Brasil.

Leia mais: https://www.ivi.int/ivi-and-brazil-sign-letter-of-intent-supporting-the-establishment-of-the-bright-fund-advancing-a-global-south-led-model-for-health-innovation-pt/