Monitoring and Reacting to the Changing Attitudes on all Aspects of Vaccination Uptake and Confidence
The Vaccine Confidence Working Group aims to advise evidence-based strategies, practices, and policies to:
- Evaluate the ever-important and overarching task of increasing vaccine confidence by monitoring how changes affect trends, attitudes and trust among the three main social groups; the believers, the indifferent, and those against vaccines.
- Identify the changes in awareness, understanding, and anti-vax sentiments among European communities.
- Monitor the rise in online misinformation and disinformation caused by the increased interest of vast populations in vaccines.
- Develop HCP-led strategies to counter misinformation by establishing points of trusted information and communicating the latest information from HCPs.
Would you like to join the group and participate in the meetings and the work? Please send us a request.
MEMBERS AND PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
Timo Vesikari (Vaccine Research Center, Finland) ● Roy Philip (University of Limerick, Ireland) ● Irena Bralic (University of Split) ● Gary Finnegan (Vaccines Today) ● Mihai Craiu (Carol Davila University of Medicine, Romania) ● Alison Maaasen (EuroHealthNet) ● Maria Viegas (European Medical Students' Association) ● Sam Nye (Confederation of Meningitis Organizations) ● Elizabeth Adams (European Federation of Nurses Associations) ● Marianne Chagnon (European Union of Medical Specialists) ● Jess McNamara (European Pharmaceutical Students' Associations) ● Daphne Holt (Coalition for Life-Course Immunisation) ● Barbara Rath (Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative) ● Mariano Votta (Networking Active Citizenship Network) ● Catherine Weil Olivier (Paris VII University) ● Silvia Romeo (Think Young) ● Daniela Quaggia (Networking Active Citizenship Network) ● Francisco Gimenez-Sanchez (Balmis Institute of Vaccines) ● Irena Bralic (University of Split) ● Michael Barilan (Tel Aviv University Sackler Faculty of Medicine) ● Timo Vesikari (Vaccine Research Center, Finland) ● Nenad Miljković (European Association of Hospital Pharmacists) ● Chloe Lebbos (European Pharmaceutical Students' Association) ● Margherita Brusa (Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine) ● Marc Van Ranst (Rega Institute for Medical Research, Belgium) ● Philip Weiss (ZN Consulting, Belgium) ● Katrine Habersaat (World Health Organisation) ● Liudmila Mosina (World Health Organisation) ● Jacques de Haller (Standing Committee of European Doctors) ● Tilen Kozole (European Pharmaceutical Students' Association) ● Dace Zavadska (Children's Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia) ● Radovan Bogdanovic (Paediatric Association of Serbia, Serbia ● Paolo Bonanni (University of Florence, Italy) ● Aubrey Cunnington (Imperial College London ● Simon de Lusignan (Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre,) ● Simon Kroll (Imperial College) ● Zsofia Meszner (National Institute of Paediatrics Heim Pal, Hungary) ● Mira Kojouharova (National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Bulgaria)
BRIEFINGS FROM MEMBERS
AREAS AND DISCUSSION POINTS EXAMINED BY THE GROUP
-
How can we identify and react to changes in dynamic shifts in the three main social groups - the believers, the indifferent, and those against vaccines - and strengthen our policy responses?
-
Will pressure on the public to vaccinate against COVID offers an opportunity to establish all vaccinations as socially responsible behaviour and duty to ourselves, our families, our friends and broader society? What are the wider implications of this approach on vaccine confidence?
-
We must successfully counter misinformation in preparation for the COVID vaccine. How can we counter conspiracy theorists in an era when vaccine confidence is more important than ever?
-
The challenges and opportunities the demand for a COVID-19 vaccine presents. How can we navigate the crisis to come out stronger in terms of vaccine uptake? What can we do to educate, establish points of trusted information and better communicate from both the HCP and the public's perspectives?
-
Preparing for widespread COVID vaccinations. How can we ensure successful distribution and access pathways and communicate effectively to the population to ensure acceptance and understanding of a new COVID vaccination?
-
Preparing for widespread COVID vaccinations. The critical role of Healthcare Organisations and Professionals in promoting and monitoring confidence. How should the COVID vaccine be promoted across the EU, what role should HCPs play, and how do we monitor confidence?
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 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 tackle as many areas as possible and conduct as many proposed actions to overcome barriers to vaccination uptake.