A newly published article from the Microbiology Society highlights actions which could help realise the full potential of vaccines in tackling antimicrobial resistance.
Published in the Microbiology Society’s Journal of Medical Microbiology, Impact of vaccines on antimicrobial resistance has been produced as the result of a working group created as part of the Society’s Knocking Out AMR campaign.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global health threats of our time, undermining the efficacy of life-saving treatments and placing a growing burden on health systems worldwide. While vaccines are recognised for their ability to prevent infections and reduce antibiotic use, thereby slowing the emergence of resistance, their role in addressing AMR remains underexploited in both policy and practice.
To address this gap, the Microbiology Society convened a workshop bringing together 21 expert stakeholders across academia, industry, policy and the clinical and veterinary sectors. Chaired by Microbiology Society President Gordon Dougan, the discussions focussed on how vaccines can be better harnessed in the global response to AMR.
Key themes emerged from the workshop, including the urgent need to strengthen the evidence base for vaccine-mediated AMR reduction, removing policy and regulatory barriers that limit vaccine deployment in AMR strategies and creating incentives for public-private collaboration in vaccine development.
To realise the full potential of vaccines in tackling AMR, the workshop identified five critical areas for coordinated action:
- Integrating AMR into vaccine policies
- Incentivising and supporting the inclusion of AMR reduction as a defined endpoint in clinical trials
- Strengthening data and modelling
- Fostering cross-sector partnerships
- Clearly labelling AMR benefits.
The microbiology community has a critical role to play in advancing this agenda, particularly through research that builds the case for vaccines as a core tool in AMR prevention. As the global AMR crisis intensifies, unlocking the potential of vaccines must become a strategic priority.
- Dougan G, Hugo-Webb E. Impact of vaccines on antimicrobial resistance. J Med Microbiol. 2025;74(8):10.1099/jmm.0.002050. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.002050