Topic: The need for improved influenza vaccines: Evidence from household studies

Speaker: Professor Arnold Monto, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, USA

Date: 20 August 2014 (Wednesday)

Time: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Venue: Seminar Rooms 1-2, G/F Laboratory Block, LKS Faculty of Medicine, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, HK

About the speaker:
Arnold S. Monto is the Thomas Francis Jr. Collegiate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor. The major focus of his work has been the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of acute infections in the individual and the community. Respiratory infections, in particular influenza, have been a major interest. He has worked on these issues in tropical as well as temperate regions. He led the studies of respiratory infection in Tecumseh, MI, a landmark study of infection in the community. He has studied various approaches to influenza vaccine use, particularly to control transmission of the virus in the community and in nursing homes. Dr. Monto is involved in assessing the efficacy of various types of influenza vaccine in prophylaxis and neuraminidase inhibitors and other compounds in prophylaxis and therapy of influenza, including implications of antiviral resistance. He now heads an observational study of effectiveness of influenza vaccines in various settings. His recent activities have included evaluation of face masks and hand hygiene in the control of influenza transmission and determination of efficacy of the traditional inactivated and live attenuated influenza vaccines. He has been a member of the National Allergy and Infectious Disease Advisory Council of the US National Institutes of Health. He is a past president of the American Epidemiological Society, the 2009 recipient of the Alexander Fleming Award of the Infectious Diseases Society of America for lifetime achievement and the 2012 recipient of the Charles Merieux award of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. He was a member of the Emergency Committee making recommendations to the World Health Organization during the past influenza pandemic.

ALL are welcome! Please forward your enquiries to cirhku@hku.hk.