2021 Theme: Covid-19
Since 2005, IUIS and EFIS have been working together to involve all Regional and National Societies in a global effort to promote the benefits of immunology research during the International Day of Immunology (DoI) taking place every year on April 29. READ MORE
‣IUIS-EFIS Webinar on April 29
To mark the Day of Immunology 2021, EFIS and IUIS jointly organized a webinar on 29 April 2021: Immunology in the time of COVID-19: achievements, challenges and opportunities. Featuring both presentations and a panel discussion, it brings together global experts to take stock of where we are and what the future may hold. WATCH THE WEBINAR
‣National & regional awareness campaings
Immunological Societies and Federations were invited to participate in the day and to share material on their DoI campaign (e.g. posters, films, video, social media, email or regular mail):
Argentinean Society of Immunology
2021 finds us with new hopes on the horizon, and since Immunology has played a crucial role in this optimistic feeling, we aim to celebrate the DoI raising awareness of the power of fundamental immunology in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, generating activities addressed to different targets:
1. Elementary, primary and secondary schools: through one minute-video contest “Vaccines protects us”, #Vaccineswork, stories and videos were telling the properties of the immune system.
2. General audience through the active participation of our researchers in social media.
3. Specialized audience through state-of-art webinars with experts in the field.
The SBI celebrated Immunology Day with several article publications on the Society’s blog, a podcast, and a webinar with Brazilian immunologists working on Covid-19 and vaccine development. There were also various actions on social media to share scientific data and encourage immunologists to share content for this commemorative day.
Brazilian Society of Immunology (SBI)
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Canadian Society for Immunology (CSI) IMMspire University of Toronto
To celebrate the World Day of Immunology this year, the Canadian Society for Immunology and the IMMspire University of Toronto held an all-day virtual conference on April 30th, 2021. On this day, 21 high school students from across the Greater Toronto Area participated in this event. These students ranged from grades 8-12, and all had an interest in attending post-secondary school, specifically University. All students had an interest in learning more about Immunology, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this event, they held talks from leading researchers in the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto. They also had interactive sessions throughout the day that introduced students to common techniques used in immunological research. The event culminated with a Q&A period with the Department of Immunology undergraduate program coordinator Dr. Thierry Mallevaey and with the Copresident’s of the Undergraduate Immunology Student’s Association (IMMSA) who shed light into life as an undergraduate Immunology student at the University of Toronto.
Chinese Society of Immunology, located in Taiwan
The Chinese Society of Immunology celebrated the Day of Immunology by preparing a video with cartoons showing how the immune system works. The video was showed this video in the waiting rooms of eight major hospitals throughout Taiwan for 3-10 days on and around April 29 to educate the visitors on the importance of the immune system. They reached out to approximately 100-500 people per day at each of these hospitals and a total of close to 10,000 people.
Cuban Society for Immunology
The Cuban Society for Immunology celebrated the International Immunology Day in Cuba Dedicated to Dr. Jorge Gavilondo Cowley. Their programme included a call for abstracts for the ALACI21 Congress and the 7th Cuban Immunology Congress, a call for the 2021 Annual National Immunology Prize, a presentation of the book Basic-Applied Neuroimmunology by Cuban authors, the constitution of the Multidisciplinary Chair of Immunology at the Medical Sciences University of Santiago de Cuba, the opening the first National Student Scientific Conference on Immunology “INMUNOCIEN 2021” at the Medical Sciences University of Santiago de Cuba.
A Webinar Advances of Cuban Vaccines against Covid-19, took place on Thursday, April 29, as well as two National Television Shows: “La Pupila Asombrada” dedicated to the Molecular Immunology Center, Thursday, April 22, 10 pm Cubavisión & “La Pupila Asombrada” dedicated to the Finlay Vaccine Institute, Thursday, April 29, 10 pm Cubavisión, including an interview with members of the National Board of the Cuban Society of Immunology in the National TV Show “Afternoon at Home”, Thursday, April 29, 5:30 pm.
Achievements of Immunology in Cuba were widely disseminated on the internet: Facebook, Twitter, Websites, Youtube Channel of the SCI.
French Society of Immunology (SFI)
The French Society for Immunology promoted immunology during the Day Of Immunology 2021 through a video campaign showing the view of French kids on Covid-19 and Immunology. This video had and still has great success with an impact not only national but also at the international level.
Click here to watch the video.
They seized this opportunity to use this video for a campaign in France schools to promote immunology to kids and teenagers through the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting already 713 kids/teenagers in only one month. They also made and provided a presentation to teachers who wanted to participate in this campaign which has even crossed the borders of France.
Hellenic Society of Immunology (HSI)
Last year the celebration of International Day of Immunology coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing once again highlighted Immunology as a leading science, and at the same time, it suggested new ways of exchanging knowledge and raising awareness among the general public.
The Hellenic Society of Immunology (HSI) responded thoughtfully to these challenges and organized a Greek online webinar, on 29.04.20, titled: “Immunology …..messages of hope for prevention and treatment for COVID-19 disease,” demonstrating the great importance of immunology across the pandemic from the prevention and protection in public health to individualized treatment.
It is worth noting that more than 8.000 people attended this first exclusive online HSI event. The scientific community’s response and the general public were highly encouraging and binding for HSI in organizing similar events.
Nigerian Society for Immunology (NSI)
The Nigerian Society of Immunology celebrated the International Immunology Day with the following programme items:
- Educating people within & outside of the hospital/ University through the radio program and online media.
- Immunology experts in COVID-19 research & management gave lectures on World Immunology Day, with lifestreaming.
- Nigerian Society for Immunology meeting was held on a day (28th April) before International Day of Immunology to attract more people to Immunology.
- Radio, TV stations, and online newspapers came for broadcasting.
- Nigerian Society members gave lectures to Primary & Secondary School students/teachers.
The campaign reached more than 500 people.
Portuguese Society for Immunology (SPI)
Together with a team of scientists and science communicators, the Sociedade Portuguesa de Imunologia (SPI) launched a series of online sessions with the public to clarify doubts arising with the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Mobilization from life scientists allowed the organization of ~400 online sessions sharing the same structure:
1. An introduction with interactive polls
2. A video on the decades of fundamental science leading the fast development of these vaccines
3. A safe space for questions from the public.
The campaign ran during the European Immunization Week, ending on International Immunology Day.
SICB-CI (Ivory Coast)
The COVID 19 pandemic was one of the great epidemics that plunged the whole of humanity into a huge torpor. Experienced researchers developed in record time new preventive vaccine strategies to strengthen the immune system against this infection. Several African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, have benefited from the COVAX program. Côte d’Ivoire receives its first doses of COVID vaccine through the COVAX mechanism in some countries.
The theme of the International Immunology Day on 29 April 2021 on “COVID 19” offers a platform dedicated to this issue in the World and in particular in Côte d’Ivoire. For this purpose, a Poster and an audio sequence were presented by two younger Immunologists.
- Dr. KPAN SEA EUDES is a member of the Ivorian Society of Clinical and Biological Immunology of Côte d’Ivoire. Doctor in Immunology and Biochemistry of the University Félix Houphouët Boigny of Abidjan, currently a temporary employee at the Pasteur Institute of Côte d’Ivoire at the Pole of Biology of Immunity, he is a candidate for the recruitment competition of Researchers and Research Teachers of Côte d’Ivoire. Watch his video here.
- The second speaker was Mr. YOMANFO NIANGBO SERGE PACOME, a doctoral student in Immunology and Botany working on Pollinoses in Côte d’Ivoire in the context of climate change. He is also a member of the Ivorian Society of Clinical and Biological Immunology of Côte d’Ivoire. He made an AUDIO RECORDING on the African opinion of VACCINATION against COVID 19. See the article here.
SOBOIN (Bolivia)
The Bolivian Society of Immunology (SOBOIN) prepared different activities for the 2021 Immunology Day, following the SOBOIN motto “Know the ally you have inside”. These activities were focused on spreading the knowledge of immunology and SARS-CoV-2 response and aimed at different audiences, from scientists to preschool children.
Given the epidemiological situation in Bolivia due to SARS-CoV-2, all the activities were done online.
- Immunology Course “Immune response and SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines; What is known so far?” The course took place from the 27th to April 29th, organized by SOBOIN with the support of researchers of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and the Cayetano Heredia University of Peru. In Total, they had 63 external participants from different Bolivian departments.
- Launch of the Facebook page. To promote the SOBOIN activities and respond to the immunology course attendees’ requests, SOBOIN launched its Facebook page on May 12th, 2021. So far, the page has 146 followers, and the immunology course videos were viewed more than 230 times.
- Immunology Course for Preschool children: “Who helps me not to get sick?” This activity aimed to share with preschool kids basic concepts about immunology and SARS-CoV-2. The activity took place in two primary schools in Santa Cruz, thanks to the help and enthusiasm of two teachers who allowed the SOBOIN to give the course to their students. A total of 39 kids between 4 to 7 years old attended the lectures and actively participated with comments, questions, and remarks.
Spanish Society for Immunology (SEI)
The Spanish Society of Immunology celebrated the International Day of Immunology with three different campaigns. The campaigns were centered around: Autoimmunity, Misinformation, and Immunity of COVID-19.
AUTOIMMUNITY They have developed an infographic explaining which causes and mechanisms are behind autoimmune diseases. The campaign took place in two steps: 1. They were uploading the infographics on social media channels, reaching 91000 people all around the world. 2.Involving their followers to celebrate the Day of Immunology. Thus, they asked them to send us a postcard composed of our day of main immunology picture embedded in an image from their city.
MISINFORMATION They partnered with a renowned organization in Spain (“Salud Sin Bulos”) to implement a campaign to fight against COVID-19 misinformation, with an obvious special focus on immunity. Ten cartoons explaining some of the most famous myths were created. So far, the campaign was a tremendous success, with more than 360.000 people reached.
IMMUNITY OF COVID-19 Finally, taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its role in our immune system, they focused on developing infographics, webinars, and comics to explain all immunological aspects surrounding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.
Altogether, using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, Instagram) and other virtual platforms (Webinars) have reached almost one million people worldwide to celebrate the Day of Immunology.
