AIDS, influenza, tuberculosis, allergies, rheumatism, cancer - these are all diseases caused by an aberrant immune system, which normally protects the body from infection and malignancies.  Understanding the immune system is key to developing adequate therapies for these prevalent diseases.

Vaccination, one of the greatest achievements in medical science is a wonderful example of successful manipulation of the immune response. Several infectious diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and polio are no longer a threat in Europe because of the successful development and application of vaccines.

Despite these immunological successes and the role of immunology in other scientific and medical disciplines, its importance is frequently under estimated. Therefore immunologists are launching a campaign to promote awareness of immunology amongst decision makers from science and politics as well as the interested public all over Europe.

To this end, the European Federation of Immunological Societies, the umbrella organisation for 28 member societies with more than 17,000 members, has initiated the Day of Immunology on April 29^th, 2005.

Following an initiative of the incoming President of EFIS, Prof. Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, the European approach towards public awareness will coordinate various events organized by the national member societes of EFIS. A movie for the broad public available (see link below), illustrating different aspects of the immune system in health and disease. Interviews with Dr. R.Gallagher (Philadelphia, the Scientist, Dr. E. Liew (Glasgow, President of EFIS), Prof. S.H.E. Kaufmann (Berlin, Incoming President of EFIS) are included.

On the national level, local activities are planned by the EFIS Member Societies. Different activities such as discussion forums, school lectures and information campaigns will help to make Immunology a more public topic.

Link to the movie produced by EFIS.
 

For an interview of Prof. Kaufmann with the internet portal univadis please follow this link.


Für ein Interview von Prof. Kaufmann mit dem Internetportal univadis folgen Sie bitte diesem Link.


Cliquez ce lien pour un interview de Prof. Kaufmann avec le portal internet univadis.


For further publications regarding the Day of Immunology and its outcome please follow this link to pubmed