Professor Milagritos Tapia

Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Center for Vaccine Development
University of Maryland School of Medicine
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Dr. Tapia joined the Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) in 2004. Her research focuses on the epidemiology and development of vaccines for vaccine-preventable diseases in Mali. In conjunction with the Centre pour le Developpement des Vaccins - Mali (CVD-Mali), she has conducted and participated in the following:

Meningococcal A conjugate vaccine trials that led to the prequalification of MenAfriVac and introduction in the African meningitis belt.

Rotateq vaccine trial in Africa that demonstrated the efficacy of live, oral, pentavalent rotavirus vaccine.

Trivalent influenza vaccine trial in pregnant women in Mali that demonstrated prevention of influenza in the infants up to six months of age.

First human trial of a candidate vaccine against Ebolavirus.

Phase II trials of a candidate vaccine against Ebolavirus in Malian adults and children.

Dr. Tapia and CVD-Mali have also described the epidemiology of pediatric infections with Haemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae. These data have led to the introduction of the life-saving Hib conjugate vaccine and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the Malian Expanded Programme on Immunization.