VARN2023 Conference

The Sabin Vaccine Institute and UNICEF, in partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance host the Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) 2023 Conference

Mockup of VARN2023 Report

Conference Report

VARN2023 Key Findings

  • Put vaccine equity and inclusion at the heart of programming to improve vaccine confidence, demand and delivery, and reach diverse and marginalized communities.
  • Prioritize communities in immunization service delivery through people-centered approaches and tools.
  • Encourage innovative, community-centric solutions and programs for improved routine immunization coverage and to reduce the number of zero-dose children.
  • Strengthen vaccination across the life course through building vaccine demand and service integration to contribute to pandemic preparedness and maximize the benefits of future vaccines for all.

The Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) hosted its second conference co-convened with UNICEF and co-sponsored by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and in support of COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership priority countries. This conference was an in-person event. Conference sessions provided a space for exploration and facilitated the wide dissemination of a growing body of knowledge, practice, and evidence-informed strategies for driving action across the vaccination acceptance, demand and delivery ecosystem. Session recordings are available on the conferencing website.

In 2022, Sabin’s inaugural VARN conference and the COVID-19 global demand event, co-hosted by UNICEF and partners, brought together over 1500 global experts as registered attendees across 126 countries. Participants represented diverse disciplines including global health and policy, research and academia, and healthcare and health communications.

VARN2023 provided an opportunity for the sharing of knowledge from research and practice, as well as agenda setting around three core themes:

  1. Vaccine equity: setting a new course for reaching marginalized and zero-dose communities, conflict-settings, and reducing gender barriers
  2. Reimagining essential childhood immunization: a reversal of current trends and improved integration into comprehensive health service delivery programs (from policy to community-level responses)
  3. Life-course immunization: extending the opportunities of COVID-19 vaccination investments to integrate, expand and strengthen LCI (HPV vaccination, future pandemic preparedness, and healthy aging).

VARN2023 featured conference sessions focused on both vaccine demand generation and social listening to mitigate rumors and misinformation about vaccines and vaccination, as these critical components cut across all core themes.

VARN2023 provided simultaneous live audio interpretation in French and English for all sessions. All posters in English and French had translated abstract handouts provided.

Explore the VARN2022 conference report and recordings for insights from last year’s convening.