Implementing vaccination policy across the EU

The decline of vaccination coverage in recent years in EU has led to new outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Overcoming Obstacles to Vaccination is a three year project funded by the EU4health programme and commissioned by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) on behalf of the European Commission. It focuses on seven vaccines: COVID-19; Human papillomavirus (HPV); Influenza; Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR); Meningitis; Polio; and Tetanus. It is led by Verian in partnership with the European Health Management Association (EHMA), the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (Fisabio), ifok, the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP), and the European Regional and Local Health Authorities (EUREGHA). 

Impact

This work, which began in 2022, will develop recommendations for policymakers at EU and national levels, health authorities in EU Member States, and EU and national health professionals, patients and citizens, on how to improve vaccination rates by:

• Identifying obstacles to vaccination of a physical, practical, and administrative nature  
• Selecting promising practices implemented by EU Member States which can drive improvement, based on the evaluation framework within the European Commission’s Steering Group on Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases (SGPP).  
• Piloting three promising practices in nine volunteer EU Member States. These pilot projects will last 12 months and will test selected practices to verify whether they can be transferred.