WORKING GROUP ON MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINATIONS

  
             
 

Supporting and Advocating Meningococcal Vaccinations Against all Strains

  
             
 

The Meningococcal Working Group aims to advise evidence-based strategies, practices, and policies to:

  • Counter any potential shift in Healthcare Professionals' and Decision Makers’ priorities regarding the continued rollout and inclusion of meningitis vaccination for all strains
  • Suggest strategies to address lower uptake of Meningococcal vaccinations within target groups - such as Adolescents
  • Increase awareness and bring attention to the importance of meningococcal vaccinations and establish the importance of protecting against meningococcal strains across Europe
  
             
 

Would you like to join the group and participate in the meetings and the work? Send us a request 

    
             
             
 

MEMBERS AND PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

  
 

Simon Kroll (Imperial College) ● Mirjam Knol (Center of Infectious Disease Control RIVM) ● Dace Zavadska (Children Clinical University Hospital, Riga) ● Francisco Gimenez-Sanchez (Balmis Institute of Vaccines)  ● George Syrogiannopoulos (University of Thessaly) ● Nenad Miljković (European Association of Hospital Pharmacists) ● Catherine Weil Olivier (Paris VII University) ● Carlo Signorelli (University Vita-Salute San Raffaele of Milan)  ● Elisabeth Sanders (Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)  ● Hanna Noynek (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare)  ● Elena Moya (Confederation of Meningitis Organizations) ● Vytautas Usonis  (Vilnius University) ● Gertraud Daye (NGO Committee on Ageing, UN) ● Philippe de Wals (Laval University, Quebec, Canada) ● Irene Rivero-Calle (University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela) ● Daphne Holt (Coalition for Life-Course Immunisation) ● Tilen Kozole (European Pharmaceutical Students' Association) ● Radovan Bogdanovic (Paediatric Association of Serbia) ● M ira Kojouharova (National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Bulgaria) ● Kare Molbak (Statens Serum Institut, Denmark) ● Roman Prymula (Charles University, Prague) ● Marc Van Ranst (Rega Institute for Medical Research, Belgium) ● Roy Philip (University Maternity Hospital Limerick) ● Lieke Sanders (Institute of Public health and the Environment, Netherlands)

  
             
             
 

BRIEFINGS FROM MEMBERS

  
       
             
  x      
             
             
 

AREAS AND DISCUSSION POINTS EXAMINED BY THE GROUP

  
  How can we increase awareness and bring attention to the importance of meningococcal vaccinations once again?  
     
  How can we establish the importance of protecting against meningococcal strains in all types and populations (ie children, adolescents, young adults)? How can we reach out and communicate with adolescents to increase vaccination uptake?  
     
  Combatting postponed routine vaccinations and a shift in everyday priorities in practices and hospitals due to covid. What must we do to protect meningitis vaccinations as a priority and recover the lost meningococcal vaccine coverage due to the covid-19 pandemic?   
     
  The extension of meningococcal vaccination programmes across Europe is now more critical than before covid, especially as health-seeking behaviours change during pandemics impact on confusing symptoms. With the increased risk of misdiagnosis, we must advocate extending vaccines against current meningococcal strains to all types and populations (i.e. children, adolescents, young adults) as many countries lack broad coverage. how should this best be achieved?  
     
     
 

SUGGESTED ACTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS

  
 

Based on all the work and collaboration between the Working Groups, both in the Expert mapping surveys and the Working Group Meetings that are organised each year, the reports include Observations, Challenges, Strategies and Suggested Campaigns/Actions for each barrier or observation. Working alongside partners and supporters we will then tackle as many areas and conduct as many proposed actions as possible to overcome barriers to vaccination uptake.

  
   
             
             
 

LATEST ARTICLES, PUBLICATIONS AND NEWS

  
  Click below to view new articles, publications and news related to Influenza vaccinations. As a group, we strive to provide advice on strategies and policies based on best practices and up-to-date scientific evidence and surveillance.