Is Preventive Medicine a Human Right?

MEP Interest Group on Life-course Immunisation Meeting

Is Preventive Medicine a Human Right?

On 9 September, the MEP Interest Group on Life Course Immunisation held a virtual meeting to discuss whether preventive medicine, particularly vaccination, should be recognised as a human right in the European Union.

Participants broadly agreed on the importance of strengthening prevention across the life course, with particular focus on tackling misinformation, reducing access barriers, and improving inclusion of older adults. Speakers stressed that low vaccine uptake is often driven by structural obstacles — such as cost, mobility, and health system complexity — rather than hesitancy alone.

The discussion also examined the EU’s role in prevention, acknowledging that health is primarily a national competence while highlighting areas where the EU can add value through financing, coordination, guidance, and sharing best practices. Views diverged on the usefulness of framing prevention as a “moral mandate” through a European Parliament resolution: some saw potential value in its political signalling, while others questioned whether such an approach would lead to concrete change.

The meeting concluded with shared priorities but no formal policy position, reflecting the group’s role as an informal forum for exchange. Several follow-up actions were proposed, including further discussion on vaccine hesitancy, evidence-gathering on access barriers, and the development of practical resources to support trusted messengers in prevention.

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