Areas of Interest
- Global Health
- HIV/AIDS Prevention
- Immunizations/Vaccines
- Infectious Disease
Education
- PhD 2007, Johns Hopkins University
- MPH 2003, Johns Hopkins University
- MBBS 1998, Aga Khan University
Affiliations & Activities
Dr. Saad B. Omer, the immediate past William H. Foege Professor of Global Health and Professor of Epidemiology & Pediatrics at Emory University, Schools of Public Health and Medicine. He was also a faculty member at the Emory Vaccine Center. Dr. Omer has conducted multiple studies – including vaccine trials – in Guatemala, Uganda, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh, South Africa, and the United States. His research portfolio includes clinical and field trials to estimate efficacy and/or immunogenicity of influenza, polio, measles and pneumococcal vaccines; studies on the impact of spatial clustering of vaccine refusers; and clinical trials to evaluate drug regimens to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa. He has conducted several studies to evaluate the roles of schools, parents, health care providers, and state-level legislation in relation to immunization coverage and disease incidence.
In 2009, Dr Omer was awarded the Maurice Hilleman award in vaccinology by the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases on his work on impact of maternal influenza immunization on respiratory illness in infants younger than 6 months- for whom there is no vaccine. He is currently a member of the U.S. National Vaccine Advisory Committee.
Publications
- Chamberlain AT, Lavery JV, White A, Omer SB, 2017, Ethics of Maternal Vaccination, Science, 358, 452-453
- Omer SB, 2017, Maternal Immunization , New England Journal of Medicine, 376, 1256-1267
- Phadke VK, Bednarczyk RA, Salmon DA, Omer SB., 2016, Association Between Vaccine Refusal and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in the United States: A Review of Measles and Pertussis., Journal of American Medical Association –JAMA, 315, 1149-58
- Sukumaran L, McCarthy, NL, Kharbanda, EO, McNeil MM, Naleway AL, Klein NP, Jackson ML, Hambidge SJ, Lugg MM, Li R, Weintraub ES, Bednarczyk RA, King JP, DeStefano F, Orenstein WA, Omer SB, 2015, Association of Tdap Vaccination With Acute Events and Adverse Birth Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With Prior Tetanus-Containing Immunizations, Journal of American Medical Association -JAMA, 314, 1581-7
- Omer SB, Peterson D, Curran E, Hinman A, Orenstein WA, 2014, Legislative Challenges to School Immunization Mandates, 2009 – 2012, Journal of American Medical Association –JAMA, Feb 12;311(6), 620-1
- Omer SB, Orenstein WA, Koplan JP, 2013, Go Big and Go Fast — Vaccine Refusal and Disease Eradication, New England Journal of Medicine, 368, 1374-76
- Omer SB, Richards JL, Ward M, Bednarczyk RA, 2012, Vaccination Policies and Rates of Exemption from Immunization, 2005–2011, New England Journal of Medicine, 367, 1170-1171
- Steinhoff MC, Omer SB, Roy E, Arifeen S, Altaye M, Raqib R, Breiman R, Zaman K, 2010, Influenza Immunization in Pregnancy: Antibody Responses in Mothers and Infants, New England Journal of Medicine , 362(17), 1644-6
- Omer SB, Hiremath GS, Halsey NA, 2010, Respiratory Administration of Measles Vaccine, Lancet , Feb 27;375(9716), 706-8
- Omer SB, Salmon DA, Orenstein WA, deHart MP, Halsey NA, 2009, Vaccine Refusal, Mandatory Immunization, and the Risks of Vaccine Preventable Diseases , New England Journal of Medicine, 360(19), 1981-88
- Zaman K, Roy E, Arifeen SE, Rahman M, Raqib R, Wilson E, Omer SB, Shahid NS, Breiman RE, Steinhoff MC, 2008, Effectiveness of Maternal Influenza Immunization in Mothers and Infants, New England Journal of Medicine, Oct 9;359(15), 1555-64
- Six Week Extended-Dose Nevirapine (SWEN) Study Team [alphabetical]; Bedri A, Gudetta B, Isehak A, Kumbi S, Lulseged S, Mengistu Y, Bhore AV, Bhosale R, Varadhrajan V, Gupte N, Sastry J, Suryavanshi N, Tripathy S, Mmiro F, Mubiru M, Onyango C, Taylor A, Musoke P, Nakabiito C, Abashawl A, Adamu R, Antelman G, Bollinger RC, Bright P, Chaudhary MA, Coberly J, Guay L, Fowler MG, Gupta A, Hassen E, Jackson JB, Moulton LH, Nayak U, Omer SB, Propper L, Ram M, Rexroad V, Ruff AJ, Shankar A, Zwerski S, 2008, Extended-dose nevirapine to 6 weeks of age for infants to prevent HIV transmission via breastfeeding in Ethiopia, India, and Uganda: an analysis of three randomised controlled trials, Lancet, 372(9635), 300-313
- Omer SB, Enger KS, Moulton LH, Halsey NA, Stokley S, Salmon DA, 2008, Geographical Clustering of Nonmedical Exemptions to School Immunization Requirements and its Associations with Geographical Clustering of Pertussis Cases, American Journal of Epidemiology, 168(12), 1389-96
- Omer SB, Pan WKY, Halsey NA, Stokley S, Moulton LH, Navar AM, Pierce M, Salmon DA, 2006, Non-Medical Exemptions to School Immunization Requirements: Secular Trends and Association of State Policies with Pertussis Incidence, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct 11;296(14), 1757-63