Once again this year, Humanitas University hosted UniVax Day, the national day dedicated to vaccine information and awareness promoted by the Italian Society of Immunology, Clinical Immunology and Allergology (SIICA), with an event aimed at students from local high schools.
In the 2026 edition, speakers included Raffaella Bonecchi and Eduardo Bonavita, faculty members at Humanitas University, and Alberto Mantovani, Professor Emeritus and President of Fondazione Humanitas for Research. The speakers led students through an overview of the immune system, an organ capable of recognising pathogens and “building” immune memory, and then turned to the history of vaccines and their role as a tool for the prevention and protection of individual and collective health.
4 February – World Cancer Day: the role of vaccines in prevention
UniVax Day took place on 4 February, World Cancer Day, highlighting the link between vaccination and cancer prevention. Vaccination against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) reduces the risk of chronic infections that may progress to hepatocellular carcinoma, while vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) contributes to the prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers, and represents the main tool of primary prevention against this infection. A key message for a young audience, encouraged to make informed choices for their future health.
