The efficacy of vaccines is typically estimated prior to implementation, on the basis of randomized controlled trials. This does not preclude, however, subsequent assessment post-licensure, while mass-immunization and nonlinear transmission feedbacks are in place. In my work, I study how epidemiological data post-vaccination can be interpreted in terms of pathogen transmission processes and vaccine parameters, using a dynamic modelling framework (Gjini & Gomes, 2016). Such frameworks can be used for model-based vaccine evaluation in the field, fitting trajectories of cross-sectional prevalence of pathogen strains before and after intervention. By applying novel parameter inference procedures to infer vaccine efficacy post-licensure, it is possible to assess underlying environmental gradients across host populations in a comparative manner (Gjini E., 2017).
Collaborators:
Dr. Gabriela Gomes, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
Erida Gjini 