Before joining Chatham House, David Salisbury was director of immunization at the Department of Health until the end of 2013. He was responsible for the national immunization programme and led the introduction of many new vaccines.

He is the chair of the Global Certification Commission, chair of the European Certification Commission, member of the Eastern Mediterranean Commission and member of the South East Asian Commission on Poliomyelitis Eradication.

He previously chaired the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, the WHO committee that sets global immunization policy. He also served as co-chair of the Pandemic Influenza group of the G7 Global Health Security Initiative.

David trained as a paediatrician in Oxford and London, and is a visiting professor at Imperial College, London and a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

He continues to lecture and advise on vaccines and vaccination as well as undertaking ongoing work in polio, malaria and the development of new vaccines.

He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2001.

Areas of expertise
Vaccines
Vaccination programmes
Poliomyelitis eradication
Introduction of new vaccines
Public health (communicable diseases)
Past experience
2007- Director of Immunization, Department of Health, London
2004-2013

Visiting Professor, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College