LUNCH WORKSHOP 1

Addressing vaccine hesitancy in challenging times

Thursday, 5 October 2017 | 12.00-13.30 | Room 2

Organised by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Public trust in immunisation is an increasingly global health issue. Evidence on concerns and indecision about vaccination currently place Europe as the region with the least amount of confidence in vaccine safety. This is of concern not only for disease and outbreak control, but also for healthcare sustainability, and because of issues of health equity and social inclusion. As trust in media and governments is increasingly questioned, and we enter into a new 'post-truth' era, immunisation programmes face a new set of challenges which require novel targeted intervention strategies.

Why are parents and healthcare professionals increasingly hesitant to vaccinate, and is there a link to the 'post-factual' era we are experiencing? What solutions can vaccination programmes implement to address this public health challenge?

Key session objectives are to:

build understanding of the complex and multi-faceted nature of 'vaccine hesitancy', and shed light on the 'knowns' and 'known unknowns';
share country-based experience and identify possible solutions;
discuss the role of healthcare professionals;
prompt reflection on relevant priority action at both EU and national level.

This workshop aims to highlight the complex nature of vaccine hesitancy which calls for an inter-sectoral approach, involving a vast range of skills drawing from a number of disciplines including health, education, public health, health promotion, behavioural change, social marketing, stakeholder engagement, and information technology to name a few. This requires good political leadership to create the right 'mix' of expertise from across sectors.

L1 Programme PDF