Biography
Mark Doherty did his training at Massey University and the Auckland University School of
Medicine, in New Zealand. In 1989 he moved to the US, working first at the DNAX Research Institute in Palo Alto, California and later at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. In 1999, Mark moved to Denmark, where he worked at SSI on vaccine and adjuvant development, and also became an Adjunct professor at the University of Bergen and at St. John’s Medical College. In 2010, Mark joined GSK as a Medical Advisor in Denmark, moving to Belgium in 2015. Mark has acted as a regular consultant to the WHO, the Gates Foundation, the European Commission, etc., and he remains a member of the STOP-TB New Diagnostics Working Group. He has published extensively on vaccine development, adjuvant development and biomarker assessment of immunity and disease.
Doherty, M.
Paper
Value of Vaccines and Life course immunization
Globally, populations are aging due to sustained increases in longevity and falling birth rates. At the same time, economic development in low and middle income countries is raising the issue of better health for whole populations. These developments are placing unprecedented strains on healthcare systems globally. Many infectious diseases can be prevented by existing vaccines or the severity of the course of disease can be attenuated even if the vaccination does not prevent infection entirely. The benefits of pediatric vaccination programs can no longer be doubted, both for improving health and boosting productivity. As a result, significant strides have been made in improving coverage of children over the last two decades. It is also clear that preventive medicine can play a major role in preserving the health and independence of older adults. Vaccination can thus contribute to healthy aging, alongside healthy diet and physical exercise. The available evidence indicates that dedicated programs can achieve substantial improvements in vaccination coverage among older adults – however, for older adults the preventive potential of widespread vaccination is rarely realized. The reasons for the failure to fully implement life-course vaccination; the consequences and potential solutions are all discussed.
FUNDING
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA funded this study and all costs associated with the development of related publications.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
All authors are employees of the GSK group of companies and hold shares in the GSK group of companies.
