Dr Antonietta Filia

Dr Filia is a preventive medicine and public health physician and researcher working at the Infectious Diseases Department of the Italian National Health Institute since 2004. She received her medical degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and her specialty degree in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine in Rome, Italy, where she also obtained a Ph.D. in Research Methods in Preventive Medicine and Therapy.

Dr Filia’s main areas of expertise are immunization, surveillance, epidemiology and control of communicable diseases, with a special emphasis on vaccine-preventable diseases, measles, rubella, congenital rubella and tuberculosis. She played a major role in drafting the Italian national measles and rubella elimination plan, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and is an active member of the national strategic advisory group for measles, rubella and congenital rubella elimination. She also worked in the establishment of the integrated measles and rubella surveillance system in Italy, of which she is responsible, and of the national surveillance systems for congenital rubella and rubella in pregnancy. Dr Filia has participated in a number of European and national projects, expert working groups, risk assessments, communication activities, and research in the areas of vaccine-preventable diseases, and provides technical and scientific advice and recommendations to the Italian Ministry of Health, regional and local health authorities and other stakeholders on vaccines and immunization. She is involved in organizing and conducting training courses aimed at health professionals, has coordinated and participated in writing the Italian guide to vaccine contraindications, and is an active member of the WHO Vaccine Safety Net.