The COVID‑19 pandemic has underscored the central role of vaccination in prevention, emergency response and societal resilience. The pandemic also highlighted the limitations of global health systems when faced with large‑scale health crises, bringing to light the profound inequalities in access to vaccines.

Through his book, and drawing on his experience as former CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and his key role in the COVAX initiative as a co-founder, Dr Seth Berkley offers an analysis of the lessons learned from the global response to COVID‑19. He addresses the challenges related to equitable access to vaccines, vaccine diplomacy and international coordination, as well as perspectives on how to better anticipate and manage future pandemics.

After an introduction by Prof. Stéphanie Lacour, Vice-President for Support to Strategic Initiatives, this Campus Lecture will take the form of a dialogue between field experience and academic expertise, bringing together Dr Berkley, and two EPFL professors : Prof. Bruno Correia (protein design and vaccine engineering), and Prof. Jacques Fellay (genomics of infectious diseases). Together, they will explore how scientific advances, combined with the lessons of a global pandemic, can help shape the future of vaccines and strengthen health equity on a global scale.