CLCI spring newsletter 2022

We have all witnessed in the news the ongoing horrors facing the people of Ukraine. CLCI strongly condemns the invasion and wishes for a peaceful solution to the conflict. We stand in solidarity with those affected by the war, and we will continue to make the case for public health support for those in Ukraine and those fleeing the conflict. To help those affected by the war, please consider donating to the following causes:

• DEC Ukraine Appeal
• UNICEF Ukraine Emergency
• UNHCR

Two years on: what has the pandemic taught us about vaccination?

It's been just over two years since the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. Vaccines Today has been looking back over the past 24 months and asking experts about the future of immunisation and the lessons we can take away from COVID-19.

Read the full article here.

Despite rising cases, COVID-19 vaccination remains strong in Europe

Current ECDC data suggests that over 83% of EU/EEA adults have now been double-vaccinated against COVID-19, with more than 3 in 5 boosted. With many European countries beginning to relax restrictions, however, COVID-19 cases are still on the rise. Vaccination still continues to offer the best protection against severe disease and hospitalisation.

Generation Vax: Leveraging intergenerational relations to increase routine vaccination uptake

The International Longevity Centre - UK (ILC) recently published a report examining the benefits of using social media to encourage routine vaccination in older adults. As part of their Generation Vax project, they set out to test whether social media could be used to engage older people via their younger relatives using a large-scale targeted social media advertising campaign. After reaching over a million people and generating over 5 million impressions, ILC found that:

• Targeting older users directly on social media is a more effective way of encouraging them to get their jabs than engaging them indirectly through younger people.
• Social media adverts are a cost-effective way of encouraging marginalised older adults to get their flu jab.
• The campaigns focussed on the pneumococcal vaccine had an even greater impact and cost less than a third of the price per booking link click than the flu adverts.

Read the full report here.

Immunisation for old adults in Europe: scientific and social strategies report

The Federation of European Academies of Medicine?(FEAM) has published a new report looking at how to improve vaccination in older adults across Europe. The report, convened by FEAM's Expert Committee, highlights significant variation among vaccination schedules for older populations in the EU and the need to develop a culture of vaccine promotion among the general population and healthcare workers. The report highlights:

• The importance of vaccinating older adults - as immunity begins to wane over time, vaccination can be used to help boost an immune response
• The growing issue of vaccine hesitancy is leading to refusal - there is a need for more education for old people and healthcare workers
• In the age of COVID-19, the time is right to increase vaccine diplomacy - there needs to be the establishment of common immunisation programmes across Europe

Read the full report here.

Realising the full Value of Vaccination

Vaccines Europe has recently published a series of infographics outlining the social, economic and health benefits of vaccination. Each factsheet focuses on three areas:

• The impact of vaccines on public health
• The impact of vaccines on our economies
• Budgets for prevention (and immunisation) in Europe

Read the factsheets here.

New CLCI report - COVID & Beyond: Lessons from the pandemic and the future of life-course immunisation in Europe

CLCI will be launching its latest report during World Immunization Week later in April. This report examines the challenges and opportunities from the COVID-19 pandemic and what can be done differently in the future.

In this report, we answer the following:

• Has COVID-19 raised the profile of vaccination across all ages and stages of life in Europe?
• How have European governments and citizens responded to the COVID-19 vaccination?
• What needs to happen in a post-COVID Europe to encourage life-course immunisation?

Find out more about the COVID & Beyond project here.

IFPMA's #VaccinesForLife campaign

Through its #TeamVaccines work, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) will be launching its #VaccinesForLife social media campaign during World Immunization Week in April.

For more details about the campaign, visit the IFPMA website here. For more information about the #TeamVaccines work, visit the IFPMA Social Media Hub.

World Immunization Week: 24-30 April 2022

The WHO's annual World Immunization Week will be held at the end of April. This week aims to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. The theme for 2022 is "Long Life for All: In pursuit of a long life well lived".

Vaccines and vacation webinar: 10 May 2022

The world is ageing, and so is the tourism industry's consumer base. In 2019, 23% of EU tourism nights were spent by people over the age of 65 - the largest share of any age group. Ensuring Europe has a healthy ageing population is crucial for this sector, and vaccines are just one way of ensuring this.

On 10 May, CLCI will be co-hosting a webinar alongside ILC, where we will be showcasing our key research findings on the social and economic benefits of vaccination. We will be joined by industry, policy and health experts who will share their views on how vaccines can help Europe's tourism industry beyond COVID-19.