Why is immunization important for young people and newborns, and what challenges does the modern world face? Organized by TMA students, the Academy hosted the ImmunoHep Symposium 2025.

The symposium was opened by Professor of Medical Sciences, immunologist Amiran Gamkrelidze. His report touched on the importance of immunization and the challenges associated with it. He spoke in detail about statistics in regards to the current situation in Georgia and globally. The speaker once again reminded the audience of the history of immunization, how it has developed over the years and centuries. He introduced in details the challenges during COVID-19. He also mentioned the public's attitude and resistance in this regard.

The second part of the event was dedicated to Associate Professor, Pediatrician Konstantine Chakhunashvili. He focused on the importance of immunization in newborns and young children. “I received an invitation from students to participate in such a discussion for the first time, and I was happy to participate. Today's topic is vaccination, which is one of the main problems of recent times. For the past 10 years, troll bots have been actively working in this direction. It started in America, and, unfortunately, this has yielded results; several dozen children have already died of measles. Accordingly, science, doctors, and medical students should actively talk and work on these issues, we should carry out more such activities, and try to involve the general public in this discussion in order to fill the information field with correct information and no longer leave room for incorrect information,” noted Dr. Konstantine Chakhunashvili.

According to him, it is very important that students start being active when they are in their junior years, so that, in addition to academic and clinical activities, they are involved in activities that primarily contribute to sharing knowledge and raising awareness, as well as communication with the public. Since this problem is observed not only in Georgia but also throughout the world, it is important to share correct information.

Within the framework of the event, a presentation was also made by TMA students who are implementing the grant project “Special Needs Support”, the goal of which is to promote the integration of people with disabilities into society and create an environment where people with special needs can also reveal their talents. Their report reflected the theme of the event, namely, why immunization is important for people with disabilities.

Students who are members of the TMA Public Health Club and Science Club also participated in the symposium. They shared information with the audience about hepatitis treatment. In particular, old methods of treatment and modern innovations. Ana Kopaladze, a member of the Public Health Club, presented statistics on vaccine availability to the event attendees.

With the participation of the Neolab team, a hepatitis screening was held at the TMA Clinical Skills Center, where students were given the opportunity to undergo preventive examinations, which concluded the symposium.