The World Vaccine Congress Washington 2025, 21-24 April 2025, delivered another landmark year, bringing together more than 4,000 global stakeholders from biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, government, academia and the broader global health ecosystem. The event reinforced its standing as an influential and collaborative forum in the vaccine research and development space.
“WVC is not just a conference, it is a movement towards global vaccine equity and innovation.”
– Dr Patrick Slaine, Chrysaor Biologicals
Key presentations and sessions
Opening plenary: Defending science in the age of disinformation
Dr Greg Poland (Mayo Vaccine Research Group) opened the Congress with a passionate appeal for transparency and science-based dialogue in response to global vaccine scepticism.
Thematic tracks across the vaccine lifecycle
Twelve content tracks explored cutting-edge science and critical operational topics. The core tracks included:
| Track | Focus area |
| R&D innovation | RNA platforms, novel adjuvants, alternative vaccine targets |
| Manufacturing and CMC | Sustainable production, process optimisation |
| Clinical trials and regulation | Real-world evidence, trial design, regulatory harmonization |
| Immunisation programmes | Maternal vaccines, human papillomavirus (HPV) elimination, RSV infant immunization |
| Global health | Neglected tropical diseases, parasitic diseases, regional preparedness |
| Emerging threats | Mpox, antimicrobial resistance, biodefence strategies |
Pre-congress workshops included:
- RNA vaccines and delivery systems
- Vaccine R&D for parasitic and neglected diseases
- RSV infant immunization & maternal vaccines
- Global mpox response & HPV elimination strategies
- Enhancing Korea’s vaccine R&D capacity
- Innovation in non-traditional antigen targets
Notable sessions tackled misinformation, pandemic readiness, and regional manufacturing resilience – vital topics as the world moves toward long-term preparedness.
Thought leaders defining the agenda
This year’s congress featured more than 30 keynote speakers shaping the future of global vaccine policy and practice. Some of the highlights included:
- Dr Stanley Plotkin (University of Pennsylvania, USA), was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades-long contribution to vaccine development and infectious disease research.
- Dr Seth Berkley (Pandemic Center, Brown University, USA), former CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, spoke on global financing mechanisms and equitable access during pandemics.
- Dr Maria Elena Bottazzi (Texas Children’s Hospital, USA) addressed strategies for improving local vaccine production capacity and accessibility in underserved regions.
- Dr Saad Omer (University of Texas Southwestern, USA) focused on restoring public trust in vaccines amidst rising misinformation.
- Dr Tonya Villafana (AstraZeneca), Dr Francesca Ceddia (Moderna) and Dr Alejandra Gurtman (Pfizer) provided updates on RSV prevention, HPV vaccine strategy and mRNA-based immunotherapy development.
- Dr Ahmed Ogwell (United Nations Foundation) and Dr Hannah Kettler (GAVI) contributed perspectives on sustainable manufacturing and pandemic preparedness across regions.
“The range of expertise from clinical research to public health policy makes this event unmatched.”
– Ruchir Rastogi, Premas Biotech
Honours and highlights: VIE Awards 2025
This year’s Vaccine Industry Excellence (VIE) Awards recognized outstanding contributions from across the field:
| Category | Winner |
| Best pharmaceutical company | BioNTech |
| Best biotechnology company | Valneva |
| Best clinical trial organisation | EmVenio Research |
| Best academic team | Dr Adrian Hill, University of Oxford |
| Best prophylactic vaccine | Merck – Gardasil 9 |
| Best therapeutic vaccine | Merck and Moderna – mRNA-4157 |
| Vaccine advocate of the year | Dr Peter Hotez |
Powered by purpose: Sustainability at WVC
In line with its commitment to sustainability and accessibility, the 2025 Congress implemented several initiatives:
- A fully paperless programme, delivered via the event app
- Hosted at a LEED Platinum-certified venue in Washington DC
- Partnerships with ISO 14001-certified contractors (e.g. Freeman)
- Carbon emissions tracking using the Trace platform
- Encouragement of eco-certified hotel bookings and public transport
Mark your calendar
World Vaccine Congress Europe 2025
13 – 16 October 2025
RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, Amsterdam
Register now and use touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES promo code for 20% off: TID20
World Vaccine Congress Washington 2026
30 March – 2 April 2026
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C.
Register now and use touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES promo code for 20% off: TID20
Editor: Katey Gabrysch
Disclosure: This article was created by the touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES team utilizing AI as an editorial tool (ChatGPT (GPT-4o) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat.) The content was developed and edited by human editors. No funding was received in the publication of this article.
Cite: World Vaccine Congress Washington 2025 #WVCDC: Highlights
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