Health-EU Newsletter 214 - Focus

Let’s turn the tide on vaccine acceptance and uptake in the EU

Vaccination is one of the most powerful, cost-effective public health measures developed in the 20th century, yet people in the EU are dying from infectious diseases like measles or influenza. Xavier Prats Monné, Director- General for Health and Food Safety, outlines the need for EU cooperation and a collective commitment to tackle this health and societal challenge.

Have people forgotten the great benefits of vaccination?

Yes, I think that we have become complacent about vaccination in the EU. We have forgotten that before vaccines existed, many children would die or become crippled for life. Thanks to vaccination, we have wiped out smallpox, which caused at least three hundred million deaths in the 20th century alone, and prevented countless deaths from diseases such as measles, diphtheria and meningitis.

Yet we are now experiencing unprecedented outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in several EU and neighbouring countries. Measles cases tripled in the EU between 2016 and 2017, and in the past two years more than 50 people have died. Regarding seasonal flu, vaccination coverage in older age groups remains significantly below the target of 75% and ECDC estimates that around 40,000 people in Europe die from its complications.

Why should we work together at EU-level to tackle this problem?

Infectious diseases such as measles, diphtheria and influenza are not confined within national borders, and one EU country's immunisation weakness puts at risk the health and security of citizens across the EU. The EU-added value in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases is clear. More coordinated approaches, and a collective effort by the Commission and our agencies, national authorities, our partners in the healthcare, education and research sectors, as well as civil society, is needed to tackle our common challenges. In the past months we have seen a strong support from all those partners to step up our cooperation.

What are some of these common challenges?

Firstly, the impact of vaccine hesitancy on immunisation programmes is clearly a concern. Misconceptions about vaccination have shifted the public focus away from its benefits, towards distrust in science and fear of possible side effects. This point came out very clearly during our public consultation on the proposal. People have legitimate questions that are not being adequately addressed, and people are simply no longer aware of the potential severity of some vaccine-preventable diseases.

The variation of vaccination policies and schedules between EU countries poses an additional challenge. This can be a particular obstacle to people who move between several EU countries during their lives. Other factors include hurdles in access to vaccines, vaccine shortages, and challenges related to research and development for new and existing vaccines.

What does the Commission propose for the future?

The Commission has adopted an ambitious proposal to harness a powerful, collective effort across the EU to increase vaccination coverage and to ensure that everyone has access to vaccination.

• We call upon national authorities to develop national vaccination plans by 2020, which include a target of at least 95% vaccination coverage for measles.
• A key recommendation to tackle vaccine hesitancy, is that the Commission should develop a web portal by 2019 to address genuine concerns with clear, transparent and verified data.
• To address divergent vaccination programmes, we should work together to establish guidelines for a core EU vaccination schedule by 2020.
• To help prevent inequalities in access, we should create a virtual European data warehouse of vaccine needs and stocks, and better target awareness-raising activities to reach vulnerable groups.

These are but some of the recommendations to ensure sustainable, equitable and effective vaccination across the EU. Vaccination is a public health asset that no country can afford to take for granted, and we count on the commitment of Member States and all our partners to achieve our common goals.

Activities at EU level

News

Other interesting links