3.I. Scientific session: Increasing EU preparedness and improving European Vaccination Beyond COVID-19: the EUVABECO approach
Authors:   Organised by: University of Crete (Greece), Riga Stradiņš University (Latvia), Sciensano (Belgium), EUPHA-IDC, -GH, EC HaDEA,   Chair persons: Elena Petelos (EUPHA-HTA, EUPHA-GH), Georgios Margetidis (Luxembourg)
Published: October 2024

This workshop provides a platform for delegates to enhance their understanding of the interdisciplinary approach developed in the European Vaccination Beyond COVID-19 (EUVABECO) project, funded under the European Commission’s EU4Health programme. The project is to build and validate implementation plans for EU Member States (MS) to equip them with operational and technical tools to enhance vaccination practices both in routine vaccination and in case of future outbreaks. Validation will be based on innovative practices that emerged in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, EUVABECO will provide MS with robust implementation plans for common tools to support said innovative vaccination practices, thus, enhancing preparedness and increasing resilience against future health threats in Europe and globally. Guided by two chairs, the workshop is structured around five brief interactive presentations to deliver the conceptualisation, methodologies, and early results and vision for vaccination beyond COVID-19. It is designed to highlight how project activities strengthen resilience and increase preparedness against communicable diseases across the EU and beyond its borders, whilst brokering dialogue on related public health priorities. The presentations will focus on:

1. Preparing for future public health crises by fostering a conducive environment.

2. Enhancing preparedness by developing robust implementation plans.

3. An interdisciplinary approach: Exploring the five dimensions (medical/clinical, social, industrial, modelling and forecasting, and digital) of the tools deployed by EUVABECO.

4. The vital role of stakeholders and of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs).

5. Future actions and a call for ongoing support and collaboration in a structured manner.

The session will also give the opportunity to formally present EUVABECO’s multistakeholder approach and to formally launch the EU Vaccination Stakeholder Forum, where early access will be granted to EU MS for the various resources generate. This will allow the audience to give input about the needs of the broader public health community involved in vaccination across the EU, for the Stakeholder Forum to effectively promote and support:

• The scaling up of existing implementation plans within MS;

• The development of new implementation plans for additional tools;

• Integration between public health and primary care;

• Inform the targeted interaction with EU and MS bodies involved in related policies and decision-making.

The presentations will be augmented by real-time polling to maximize participant engagement. This approach will maximize interaction whilst eliciting critical insights into stakeholders’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning EUVABECO’s tools and strategies. This type of engagement will ensure effective knowledge transfer and a comprehensive understanding of the project’s objectives and implementation strategies.

Key messages

• Enhancing vaccination preparedness requires an evidence-based and harmonized set of tools to be deployed across EU MS. EUVABECO will deliver validated implementation plans to achieve this.

• An interdisciplinary approach and multistakeholder engagement are critical for evidence-informed decision-making and harmonization to successfully deploy vaccination initiatives across the EU.