On 11-12 September 2025, IMPRINT held its full network meeting at the Misty Hills Country Hotel in Muldersdrift, South Africa, just outside Johannesburg. With close to 100 members from around the world gathered on site and more than 30 participants joining online, the event united the network to reflect on the current state of maternal immunisation research and celebrate eight years of collaboration and achievements.
After a warm welcome by network co-director Beate Kampmann (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin) and Claudia Schacht (LINQ management GmbH), the first day of the meeting began with a session on biological sciences. Network members explored the latest research in maternal and infant immunity, featuring a keynote by Margaret Ackerman (Dartmouth College) on antiviral antibodies in mothers and infants, followed by presentations ranging from optimal vaccine timing in pregnancy to immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and placental antibody transfer.
In the afternoon, the meeting’s second session focused on implementation challenges. Keynote speaker Hellen Barsosio (Kenya Medical Research Institute) addressed platform preparedness for maternal vaccine roll-outs, followed by case studies on vaccination uptake in England, maternal and neonatal outcomes in The Gambia,and antenatal care attendance across multiple countries. The day concluded with poster presentations by 25 network members, alongside a digital showcase of IMPRINT's public engagement projects. Members highlighted various strategies to raise maternal vaccination awareness, ranging from community outreach in Vietnam and Nepal to engaging male partners in Uganda, using TikTok to advocate for vaccination in pregnancy in Malaysia, and more.
On the second day, the meeting continued with a session focused on policy and advocacy. Shabir Madhi (University of the Witwatersrand) delivered a keynote on preventing neonatal bacterial disease through maternal immunisation, followed by presentations covering SARS-CoV-2 vaccine impact in infants, cultural perceptions of vaccination in Malawi, and vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women in South Africa.
After a talk by Mariana Delfino-Machín (UK Medical Research Council / UK Research and Innovation) reflecting on the role vaccine networks play in achieving the Medical Research Council’s strategic objectives, the spotlight turned to the IMPRINT network itself. Together with Claudia Schacht, network co-directors Beate Kampmann and Chrissie Jones (University of Southampton) looked back at eight years of IMPRINT's achievements in advancing maternal vaccination research. Their presentations highlighted how the network has championed its members and their work, deepened our scientific understanding of vaccines in pregnancy and newborns, tackled challenges in implementation and access, and built global partnerships to reduce inequalities in maternal and infant health.Members were also invited to share their own reflections on IMPRINT’s impact,sparking a lively exchange of memories and ideas for future collaborations to strengthen efforts in maternal and neonatal immunisation through the network and beyond.
After Chrissie Jones concluded this part of the meeting with final remarks, thanking all participants and reaffirming IMPRINT's dedication to advancing maternal and neonatal health through collaborative research and advocacy, attendees had a chance to network and participate in a workshop on presentation skills in the afternoon.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants who contributed to the success of the IMPRINT network meeting!
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IMPRINT recently supported a new CIVIS course on “Maternal and Neonatal Vaccination.” Recordings of the lecture series are now available on the IMPRINT website.
