The immunology community celebrates World Immunology Day and European Immunization Week

On April 29, immunologists celebrate the Day of Immunology – the science that has been developing at a rapid pace in recent decades both in modern diagnostics and in innovative therapy of oncology, autoimmune diseases, reproductive disorders, transplants and immune deficiencies.

The week before April 29 (22-28.04) is the European Immunization Week, in which attention is paid to the benefits of vaccination and the risks of the return of “old”, supposedly forgotten infections such as whooping cough and diphtheria. This week also focuses on gaps in immunization coverage and particularly hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations such as refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and closed ethnic communities.

With the motto “Achievable for Humanity”, 2024 also marks the 50th anniversary of the WHO Expanded Program on Immunization. The goal of this program is universal access to vaccines for children around the world. The events began in Sofia on April 20 with the opening of the Fifth Summer School for training patients and parents of children with primary immune deficiencies (PID), organized by the Bulgarian Association of Clinical Immunology and the Expert Center for Rare Diseases – Primary Immune Deficiencies.

The interesting reports of specialists in the field – Prof. Elisaveta Naumova, Assoc. Snezhina Mihailova, Dr. Spaska Lesichkova and Dr. Gesheva from the Expert Center for PID, Prof. Mariana Murdjeva from MU-Plovdiv, Prof. S. Stefanov from UMBAL “Alexandrovska”-Sofia and Dr. Tsvetomila Hristova from MU-Sofia raised many specific questions about the application of vaccines, antibiotic prophylaxis and therapy for people with PID, healthy nutrition and the benefits of probiotics. Patients, lecturers and experts for the umpteenth time discussed vital guidelines in modern treatment, prevention and treatment of PID. On April 22, the Department of Epidemiology and Disaster Medicine and the Department of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology and Tropical Medicine at MU-Plovdiv organized the traditional seminar dedicated to the European Immunization Week, with the participation of many students.

The initiators of the event since 2016 are Prof. Yordanka Stoilova, Prof. Ani Kevrokyan and Prof. Radka Komitova. The guest speaker at the seminar was Prof. Stefka Krumova, head of the national reference laboratory “Measles, mumps, rubella” at the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCCPD). At the end of the workshop, there was a quiz with questions related to vaccines, and the best performing students were awarded. At the beginning of the week, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at MU-Plovdiv opened the possibility of free consultations for people with immunological problems.

This year, the International Union of Immunological Societies proposed that World Immunology Day be celebrated under the motto “Immunity through the different ages. Aging and Immunology’. Clinical immunologists Assoc. Prof. Burnusuzov and Prof. Murdjeva pay special attention to primary immune deficiencies, rare diseases of which there are more than 400 types, they are detected mostly in childhood and require specialized immunological and genetic diagnostics, patient education and long-term treatment. On April 26, immunologists from MU-Plovdiv will release helium balloons into the sky to support people with PID.

Prof. Maria Nikolova, head of the “Immunology” department of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases – Sofia, announces the provision of free consultations on the occasion of the International Day of Immunology on 29 and 30.04. in the NRL of Immunology and the Allergy Office of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in Sofia.