Vaccines and antimicrobial resistance: from science to policy

This themed issue compiles a set of articles and perspectives from a Royal Society Science+ meeting addressing the interface between vaccines and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), highlighting how vaccination strategies can reduce the prevalence of infections that drive antibiotic use and thus slow the emergence and spread of resistance; it encompasses scientific evidence on the mechanisms by which vaccines impact AMR, analyses of specific vaccines (e.g., pneumococcal and typhoid conjugate vaccines) in reducing disease burden and antibiotic demand, and policy-oriented discussions on integrating vaccines into broader AMR mitigation frameworks — collectively emphasizing vaccines as critical tools in both preventing infections and alleviating antibiotic resistance pressures across populations.