Across Europe, vaccination against pneumococcal disease remains low. Despite clear and rigorous recommendations for children, recommendations for older adults and those living with clinical conditions are lacking – with a subsequent lack of coverage and uptake. This is despite an average of 20,353 cases and 1,041 deaths from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) across the EU/EEA each year. The findings in this report have been taken from the Pneumococcal Vaccination Atlas; an interactive data source showcasing what pneumococcal vaccination looks like in 42 European countries. Continue reading

Since the first use of a smallpox vaccine in the 1790s, other vaccines have been developed and used to prevent diseases, helping to save countless lives. Yet throughout their history, vaccines have been met with resistance from individuals and groups who have deliberately tried to undermine their purpose. The aims of the first ‘anti-vaccine’ actors over 200 years ago are similar to that of the people who are anti-vaccine today: both are distrusting, have their doubts, and wish to share misleading information – often ‘fake news’ – with the public. Continue reading

Across Europe, COVID-19 has threatened the health and longevity of society’s most clinically vulnerable groups. Given that 25% of European adults are living with two or more chronic conditions, the case for vaccination has become vital during the pandemic. Yet when it comes to routine vaccination for other diseases, uptake in Europeans with chronic conditions is concerningly low. Continue reading

To herald European Immunisation Week we present our first snapshots from Europe’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout and its implications for vaccinations at all ages and stages of life….  The COVID-19 pandemic, declared by the WHO in March 2020, has had a profound impact on public health, economics and society. The pandemic sparked an unprecedented global effort to develop and deploy new vaccines. The success, development and approval of several COVID-19 vaccines have been hailed as a triumph of science. Click below to view the videos of interviews with Dr Francisco Gimenez, Radu Ganescu and MEP Tomislav Sokol.  Continue reading

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are key advocates for vaccination across all ages because of the trust the public places in them. Almost 80% of Europeans would consult a medical professional for information about vaccines, and 65% consider them the most trustworthy source of information. Given this evident level of trust, there is a risk that hesitant or anti-vaccine HCPs could spread concerns about vaccines. However, HCP life-course immunisation (LCI) advocacy, through regular, community-level conversations and recommendations, has the potential to increase public confidence in vaccines and, ultimately, increase vaccination uptake. Continue reading

The 16th World Congress on Public Health (WCPH) was held virtually on 12-16 October 2020. The theme of the Congress “Public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action” is even more relevant now than ever before. It comes during the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen public health professionals around the world unite to work in solidarity to respond to COVID-19 both on the ground and in national decision-making.   Continue reading

Vaccine hesitancy exists across the globe and is seen not just in the public sphere, but also among health care professionals reducing uptake and ultimately costing lives. Vaccine hesitancy is driven by several factors: poor confidence in vaccines, experts, health authorities and industry; the inconvenience of vaccination services and difficulties of access; and lack of knowledge or even complacency around infectious diseases.  Continue reading

by Gary Finnegan (Editor of Vaccines Today and a trustee of CLCI. This article appeared on VaccinesToday.eu) This year’s World Immunization Week takes place against the backdrop of a global pandemic which threatens to compromise routine vaccination just as the demand for vaccines soars. The tragic irony of public sentiment towards vaccination has always been that successful immunization campaigns dampen demand for vaccines. ‘Vaccines are a victim of their own success,’ it is often said.  Continue reading

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