The Pathology Amphitheater of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP) was the stage for a lecture delivered by Prof. Dr. Peter J. Hotez, a physician, scientist, and Professor at the National School of Tropical Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine. The event took place on June 23, 2023, at the invitation of Prof. Eloisa Silva Dutra de  Oliveira Bonfá, Director of FMUSP, and Prof. Jorge Kalil, Head of the Department of Clinical Medicine at the Faculty, and attracted the attention of numerous healthcare professionals and students, who filled the venue.

Prof. Hotez leads a partnership for the development of new vaccines for tropical diseases and coronaviruses. He was nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for developing and distributing a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine without patent restrictions. He is globally recognized for his pro-immunization work and his fight against scientific denialism. With a career marked by leadership in neglected disease research, he brought to FMUSP a lecture on the topic "Global Vaccinations and the 'Antipoverty Vaccines': The Science Vs The Antiscience."

During his presentation, Prof. Hotez emphasized the importance of "decolonizing the vaccination ecosystem," taking into account the limitations and specificities of each nation. He stressed the need not only to provide ready-made vaccines but also to provide assistance in technology transfer. Additionally, he provided an overview of his career and shared his fight against anti-science and anti-vaccine movements.

After the lecture, the audience actively participated by asking various questions. The interaction provided an enriching debate, in which Prof. Hotez emphasized that the anti-vaccine movement cannot be understood solely within the scientific realm but must be analyzed from political and sociological perspectives. He highlighted the importance of support and willingness from scientists and scientific entities for effective communication in this context. Prof. Kalil, who assisted in coordinating the lecture, also took part in the discussion.