We would like to draw your attention to the 27th ADVAC course, which will again take place in Veyrier-du-Lac, France, from 10 to 21 May 2027.

The application portal will open on July 1st, and the deadline for applications is 15 November 2026.

This advanced Course is for scientists and decision-makers involved in vaccine development, in the elaboration of new vaccination strategies or in policy decisions related to the introduction of new vaccines in public health programmes, at national or international levels. It is relevant for both the public and private sectors.

The selection of participants is very competitive at there a maximum of 75 participants. Participants will be selected by the ADVAC Scientific Committee, according to their: educational background, experience in vaccinology, decision-making level of responsibilities in vaccinology, and expected impact of the Course at personal, institutional and national levels.  Each application is assessed individually by at least 8 Scientific Committee members. ESPID supports up to two members for the participation in the course in the form of a fellowship.

Further information about ADVAC and the course can be found here.

ADVAC – Advanced Course of Vaccinology | Global Vaccine Training Program

We are delighted to announce the upcoming ADVANCED SKILLS IN VACCINE COMMUNICATION course in Montreux on September 2 and October 8, 2026.

The course aims to provide healthcare professionals with practical communication tools for difficult conversations in vaccinology and vaccine hesitancy. This initiative has been co-constructed with the support of SSPH+ and with the collaboration of several colleagues, including Prof. Stephen Rollnick, co-founder of Motivational Interviewing.

The course will be held in French.

29./30.10.2026

The local organizing committee is pleased to announce the next PIGS Training Course. This two-day course highlights essential topics in pediatric infectious diseases.

State-of-the-art lectures will update participants on the diagnosis and treatment of important infectious diseases. Topics will cover the broad field of pediatric infectious diseases. Finally, interactive case presentations will allow for vivid discussions.

Please save the date!

FLYER

Admissions are open for the Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma, and the Master of Science in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, which are run in Oxford and are supported by the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Disease (ESPID). The courses bring leaders in the field from around the world to teach a comprehensive syllabus to inspire and educate a new generation of paediatricians, and ultimately improve Child Health.

Postgraduate Certificate in PID

The Postgraduate Certificate is a one-year, part-time course taught primarily online providing you with an in-depth understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of paediatric infection. The course will appeal to doctors who have experience in paediatrics, including trainees in paediatrics who have an interest in specialist knowledge in the field of paediatric infectious diseases, for example those training for the RCPCH paediatric infectious diseases special interest (SPIN) module. It is also suitable for GPs with an interest in paediatric infectious diseases.

Postgraduate Diploma in PID

The Postgraduate Diploma is a two-year, part-time course taught primarily online, providing you with an in-depth understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of paediatric infection. It also places the practice of paediatric infectious diseases in the broader context of applied sciences, such as pathogenesis, population biology and epidemiology. The course will appeal to doctors who have experience in paediatrics, including trainees in paediatrics who have a specialist qualification equivalent to the Membership Examination of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH), specialist trainees in paediatric infectious diseases or relevant medical subspecialties, and clinical research fellows. It will provide in-depth knowledge and is aimed at those working in specialist PID centres.

Master of Science in PID

The MSc in Paediatric Infectious Diseases can be taken part-time over one year as an extension to the Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Infectious Diseases. It is for those who wish to broaden their knowledge about paediatric infection and develop research skills in the subspecialty. The MSc is intended to assess your capacity to formulate research questions, and select, design and manage a research project. You will complete a research project of between eight and fourteen weeks and write a dissertation. The research can be carried out in Oxford or locally, making the programme suitable for overseas as well as UK residents.

You can find more information at Study – Department of Paediatrics (ox.ac.uk)

Congratulations to Patrick Meyer Sauter on winning the SSI Research Award 2025 at the annual meeting in Interlaken. This is a well-deserved recognition for his outstanding research in the field of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

We are pleased to announce the election of PD Dr. Christian Kahlert from St. Gallen as the new President of the PIGS. The election took place on June 4, 2025. We are confident that Christian will successfully continue the efforts of the previous president, Prof. Ulrich Heininger from Basel, in positioning PIGS as an active, agile, and strong society.

At the same time, we would like to sincerely thank Uli for his commitment and dedication over the past eight years—years that were particularly challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the iGAS outbreak.

Congratulations to Christian on his new role. We look forward to an exciting chapter ahead.

It is our great pleasure to share the PIGS annual report 2024 with you!

Jahresbericht 2024

Rapport annuel 2024

We would like to draw your attention to this publication in the Lancet Microbe.

Global spatiotemporal dynamics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: an epidemiological and transmission modelling study

and on linkedin