Monitoring and Reacting to the Changing Attitudes on all Aspects of Vaccination Uptake and Confidence
Vaccine confidence and the establishment of trust are cornerstones of a successful immunization program. Confidence is the trust that individuals or communities have in the recommended vaccines, the providers who administer them, and the processes and policies that lead to vaccine development and recommendation. This trust is essential because:
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High Vaccination Rates: Confidence leads to greater vaccine uptake, which is necessary to reach the levels of immunization required to protect communities through herd immunity.
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Public Health Resilience: Trust in vaccines helps maintain the resilience of public health systems by preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, thus saving lives and resources.
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Combatting Misinformation: Strong trust can counteract misinformation's negative effects, leading to vaccine hesitancy.
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Responsive Health Policies: Trust in the health system enables more effective response and adaptation to new health challenges, such as the emergence of new pathogens.
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Global Health Security: In a globalized world, vaccine confidence contributes to global health security by ensuring widespread vaccine acceptance and preventing the cross-border spread of diseases.
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Healthcare Provider Engagement: Trust enhances the ability of healthcare providers to effectively communicate the benefits and safety of vaccines, fostering a pro-vaccination environment.
Monitoring and reacting to the evolving perspectives on vaccination uptake and confidence is critical. The Vaccines Together Initiative analyses trends and trust levels across diverse social groups to bolster vaccine confidence. We're dedicated to identifying shifts in public perception, combating misinformation, and fostering evidence-based communication between healthcare professionals and the community. We aim to create a well-informed public discourse on vaccines, ensuring accurate knowledge dissemination and upholding public health.
Members and Participating Organisations
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
Action Plans and Reports
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.