Theodore Eickhoff, MD, wins Mérieux Award

Earlier this week, Theodore Eickhoff, MD, professor emeritus in the division of infectious disease at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, was presented with the 2010 Charles Mérieux Award at the 13th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

Eickhoff is a member of the Infectious Diseases in Children Editorial Board.

Four decades worth of advocating for adult immunization have earned Eickhoff a great deal of recognition in his field. Eickhoff’s dedication to educating his colleagues about the benefits, costs and risks associated with routine vaccination for the prevention of diphtheria, tetanus, measles, rubella, influenza, hepatitis B and pneumococcal disease are deserving of the award, according to an NFID press release.

“Most important is our role in the education of tomorrow’s primary care providers,” Eickhoff said in the release. “Adult immunization will be seen as important by clinicians only when it is continually emphasized to them in their training programs.”

At the conference, Eickhoff gave a lecture titled, “Adult Immunization, 1970-2010: Some Issues Along the Way,” during which he discussed adult immunization challenges including public ignorance, professional apathy, high costs and the haphazard organization of immunization efforts.

Eickhoff also addressed progress made in the area of adult immunization. He attributed advances in the field to improved professional education, media support in public education and the increasing prominence of preventive medicine. Better reimbursement of health care providers and improvements in record keeping and immunization distribution channels are also important, he said.