Prevention Efforts Need to Be Stepped Up

The future of vaccination policy and innovation is a pressing topic, with research constantly evolving to reduce the burden of diseases. Mariano Votta and Daniela Quaggia of the Active Citizenship Network discuss the importance of strengthening prevention, public trust, and health resilience across Europe.

Vaccination research has been ongoing since the first vaccine was developed in 1796, with scientists continually searching for new ways to protect people against infectious diseases. Nowadays, research in the field of vaccination policies is heading in a direction that prioritizes innovation and patient-centred approaches.

Experts are exploring new platforms and delivery methods for vaccine development. The Active Citizenship Network has organised an EU workshop in Brussels to discuss key stages of vaccine research and development, as well as approaches for returning data to clinical study participants.

The workshop will brief association leaders on the approach proposed by the FACILITATE project, which defines a participant-centred framework for returning individual data to clinical study participants. This approach aims to strengthen trust, improve health literacy, and enhance the quality of vaccine research.

Investing in prevention is necessary, especially in the current historical moment. The Mission Board on Vaccination in Europe has called for Europe to use the next Multiannual Financial Framework to invest in prevention and immunisation as drivers of Europe’s future competitiveness, productivity, and resilience. Professor Walter Ricciardi, Chair of the Mission Board on Vaccination in Europe, emphasized that vaccination is one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools available, saving lives, strengthening economies, and enabling societies to recover and succeed in the face of crisis.

Every year, vaccines save millions of lives around the world, making them one of the most effective tools available to prevent serious infectious diseases.

Patient-centred research is essential in the field of vaccination policies. The FACILITATE project proposes a framework for returning individual data to clinical study participants, which can help strengthen trust and improve health literacy.

This approach is grounded in the principles set out by the European Charter of Patients’ Rights, which emphasizes the right to preventive measures and the right to innovation.

Europe can strengthen its health resilience and improve the lives of millions of people by promoting a culture of prevention and investing in innovation. Professor Ricciardi said, “Now is the time to double down on prevention.”

In the context of the EU’s health policies, the importance of vaccination cannot be overstated.