Press Release
EIWH Launches Multi-Lingual Policy Briefs on Vaccination
Launch during European Immunization Week to Encourage a Life-Course Approach to Vaccination
24-30 April 2017— Each year, the WHO-Europe coordinates the European Immunization Week to encourage countries across the region to protect their population against infectious diseases, which like World Immunization Week, occurs annually during the last week in April.
This year’s theme “Vaccines Work” highlights the need for and benefit of immunisation across the lifespan. In celebration of European Immunization Week and its own 21st anniversary, European Institute of Women’s Health is launching the 2nd edition of its policy brief Women in Vaccination in the EU in order to increase awareness about the importance of vaccination and to encourage the development of a European life course approach to vaccination.
The brief is available in English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Spanish, Slovenian and Polish online at:
https://eurohealth.ie/policy_briefs/
Vaccination prevents 2 to 3 million deaths globally each year. Yet, 1.5 million deaths could be prevented by improved immunisation.
Immunisation across the life-course has been sadly missing from the European health promotion and prevention agenda, despite the great successes of the past, eliminating many infectious diseases.
In 2002, for example, the WHO European Region was certified as polio-free. According to the World Health Organization, immunization saves more than three million lives annually. A further three million deaths of both children and adults could be prevented by vaccination.
Over the years, the EIWH has been watching with alarm how coverage rates of and trust in vaccination have been steadily declining in some countries, placing them below the vaccination targets recommended by the World Health Organization. The WHO estimates that about 1/5 children, 18.7 million infants, globally do not have routine vaccinations for preventable diseases, leading to about 1.5 million deaths annually.
The success of immunization programmes has led to a lack of concern regarding vaccine-preventable disease by many Europeans. However, the recent steep increase in measles cases in Berlin, Germany shows how a failure to vaccinate can encourage the spread of measles in school-age children.
The hesitancy of many parents to vaccinate their young children has resulted in preventable, costly outbreaks of communicable diseases such as measles and pertussis, resulting in serious long-term illness or even death.
From 2007 to 2013, the WHO European region witnessed a 348% increase in measles cases.
Infectious diseases are not only a danger to children, but can be a serious health threat to all people, particularly to those who contract the infections in later age. In addition, certain groups who cannot be vaccinated, or refuse vaccination, benefit from a phenomenon called “herd immunity” which, if a sufficient percentage of the population is vaccinated, protects the unvaccinated around them.
Positive messages and advocacy about the benefit of immunization must be improved in the WHO European Region. Health authorities should not only communicate at a time of crisis, but must also capitalise on vital opportunities to build trust and understanding of vaccination in the general public—prior to an outbreak.
Pro-active public health messages are needed to combat rampant misinformation and scientifically unfounded anti-vaccination alarm. The European Institute of Women’s Health calls on policy makers to devote particular attention to targeting vulnerable and underserved populations.
European Immunization Week is also a wake up call for health professionals and the public health community. Unless there is positive advocacy for vaccination together with the political will to support robust, coherent and evidence-based communication and public dialogue, trust in vaccination will not be restored. Society should be able to count on a vaccine- and health-literate public, which is critical in case there is an emergency or epidemic.
The European Institute of Women’s Health welcome the European Immunization Week and encourage its members to participate in the plethora of activities occurring throughout the week at national and EU level.
The EIWH calls on Member States to promote policies and programming to reach the immunization targets set in the European Vaccine Action Plan 2015-2020. We must work together to raising awareness of not only the safety and efficacy of vaccination but all the necessity of immunization to maintain health.
For more information, please visit:
European Institute of Women’s Health’s Women and Vaccination in the EU Policy Briefing 2nd Edition:
https://eurohealth.ie/women-and-vaccination-in-the-eu-english/
World Immunization Week website:
http://www.who.int/campaigns/immunization-week/2017/en/
Council Conclusion on Childhood Immunisation:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2011:202:0004:0006:EN:PDF
European Vaccine Action Plan 2015-2020:
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/vaccines-and-immunization/publications/2014/european-vaccine-action-plan-20152020.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Vaccine Schedule:
http://vaccine-schedule.ecdc.europa.eu/Pages/Scheduler.aspx
ECDC Vaccine Page:
http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/immunisation/Pages/index.aspx
