Vaccine Expert to Address Vaccine Acceptance During PVM’s Coppoc One Health Lecture

October 15, 2021

“Vaccine Acceptance in 2021: What We’ve Learned and What We Need to Do” is the title of the upcoming Coppoc One Health Lecture, which will be hosted virtually by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine November 4. The presentation will be given by Dr. Noni E. MacDonald, professor of pediatrics at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Canada, and a former Dean of Medicine there.

The virtual lecture will be held on the Zoom platform beginning at 3:30 p.m. The talk is free and open to the public.

Dr. MacDonald is a pediatrician, infectious disease specialist, vaccinologist, and passionate global health advocate. During her presentation on vaccine acceptance, she will define vaccine hesitancy and identify the factors that contribute to hesitancy or acceptance in different contexts with different vaccines. She also will outline evidence-informed strategies for improving vaccine acceptance at the program and patient levels and describe equity issues involved in routine and COVID-19 vaccine access.

Dr. MacDonald currently has two major areas of interest and both involve global health. The first area of focus is vaccines, including vaccine safety, hesitancy, demand, pain mitigation, education, and policy, especially through her work with the World Health Organization (WHO). She has served as a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) for the WHO since 2017. Her second focus area is MicroResearch, which involves building capacity for community-focused research in developing countries.

Dr. MacDonald has published over 450 papers and has been long recognized in Canada and internationally as an advocate for the health of children and young people and as a leader in pediatric infectious disease and global health. She is an elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and of the Royal Society of Canada. She also is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia.

The Coppoc One Health Lecture Series was established in 2014 to provide an annual campus-wide lectureship that focuses on the symbiotic relationship between veterinary and human medicine and its world-wide impact. The lecture is named in honor of Dr. Gordon Coppoc, Purdue professor emeritus of veterinary pharmacology, and his wife, Harriet. Dr. Coppoc is the former head of Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Basic Medical Sciences. He also served as director of the Indiana University School of Medicine-Lafayette and associate dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine before retiring in 2014.

Click here to join the Zoom meeting. Click here for more information about the Coppoc One Health Lecture Series.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week our gratitude goes to Andrea Kellogg, who is the director of Lifelong Learning.

Purdue Veterinary Students Get Up Close View of Veterinary Care at Professional Bull Riding Event

During a weekend dedicated to championship-level competition, students from the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine gained a first-hand perspective on a unique aspect of the livestock industry with a behind-the-scenes pass to the Professional Bull Riding event held recently in Indianapolis. Ram Trucks PBR Indianapolis presented by Cooper Tires was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse March 21-22, even as first- and second-round NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games were held across the country the same weekend.

In Memory – Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Physiology Gerald Bottoms

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community is deeply saddened to learn that Dr. Gerald D. Bottoms, a longtime faculty member and Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Physiology, passed away on February 24, 2026. He was 95.

PVM Scholars Recognized at Purdue One Health and Well-Being Research Event

Purdue University’s recent One Health and Well-Being Research Event: A Celebration of Interdisciplinary Health Research, put the spotlight on several scholars in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The one-day event was organized by the College of Health and Human Sciences in partnership with several other colleges including Purdue Veterinary Medicine. It is estimated that more than 300 people attended the event at the Purdue Memorial Union North and South Ballrooms March 10.

In Memory – Dr. Jeffrey Hanssen (PU DVM ’71)

The College of Veterinary Medicine mourns the passing of an alumnus and longtime practitioner from Greenfield, Indiana. Dr. Jeffrey Hanssen died March 12, 2026, at Brandywine - Brickyard Healthcare Center in Greenfield. He was 71.

Beautiful Spring Lilies Pose Serious Danger to Cats

Spring weather heralds the arrival of the beautiful blooms of true lilies (Lilium sp.) and daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.). Unfortunately, many cats have been poisoned by these lovely plants. The poisoning is so severe and the possible consequences so dire (even death) that in 2021, the FDA issued this warning: “Lilies in the “true lily” and “daylily” families are very dangerous for cats. The entire lily plant is toxic: the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase. Eating just a small amount of a leaf or flower petal, licking a few pollen grains off its fur while grooming, or drinking the water from the vase can cause your cat to develop fatal kidney failure in less than 3 days. The toxin, which only affects cats, has not been identified. Dogs that eat lilies may have minor stomach upset but they don’t develop kidney failure.”

Through study abroad opportunities, Purdue’s Veterinary Technology Distance Learning program is helping students think globally

Promoting animal health is a value that transcends cultures and unites the world. That’s why there are veterinary professionals practicing in nearly every country around the globe. But access to high-quality, affordable veterinary care is far from universal — in many nations, particularly developing nations, access to veterinarians is inconsistent, and affordability is a concern all over the world. To confidently address these issues, veterinary professionals must be able to think globally. That’s why Purdue Veterinary Medicine encourages students to study abroad, including those in the Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program (VTDL). “Study abroad enriches our online curriculum by bringing classroom concepts to life in a global, real-world context,” said Addison Sheldon, the college’s director of global engagement. The VTDL program offers students the option to study abroad in Guatemala, Japan and Zimbabwe by partnering with local universities and organizations.

Public Invited to Learn about Veterinary Medicine at 2026 PVM Open House April 18

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine will welcome the public for its annual Spring Open House at Lynn Hall on Saturday, April 18, 2026. Scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the event will feature a hands-on look at the world of veterinary medicine.

Annual Purdue Veterinary Technician Symposium Remains Popular in 12th Year

The enduring popularity of the annual Purdue Veterinary Technician Symposium was evident again this spring as more than 125 participants turned out for the day-long continuing education program in Lynn Hall. The 12th annual symposium on Sunday, March 8, attracted attendees from Indiana and seven other states, including Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Ohio.

Ruby’s Road to Recovery

When Ruby first came to the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, she was just nine months old, and her injuries were more complex than when they first appeared. Ruby is a toy poodle and over a month earlier, while playing, she jumped off a couch and fractured both of her front legs. Despite several weeks of treatment with splints and casts, her legs were not healing properly. She had surgery performed on both her front legs and received a bone graft to help speed up the healing process. With meticulous surgical aftercare and a planned series of rechecks, Ruby began her journey to recovery.