Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge worldwide, causing extensive morbidity, mortality and economic cost while eroding the range of therapeutic options to treat infections. One of the important reservoir of AMR genes is the human microbiome. Vaccines are often seen as one of the possible ways to limit the spread of AMR. At the same time, there is increasing suspicion that the microbiome modulates vaccine-mediated immune responses. Experimental data has been generated in animal models, but compelling evidence in human remains scarce, perhaps because of the challenges in designing appropriate studies. Nonetheless, AMR, microbiome and vaccines are intricately linked in a way that is not fully understood yet and deserves more attention.

This session will explore the complex interplay between AMR, microbiome and vaccines, highlighting the current stage of knowledge, challenges in the field and suggesting possible directions for future research. The session will cover:
(i) the interaction between the microbiome and vaccines,
(ii) the relation between vaccines and AMR,
(iii) how the activation of host targets can limit AMR spread, and
(iv) considerations for clinical trial design for AMR studies.