Technical meeting
(Prague, April 2024)

Strategies for introducing and implementing vaccines for adults into National Immunization Programs in Europe: Exemplary Approaches and Key Insights

Meeting Objectives

Provide updated information for the introduction and implementation of vaccines for adults into national immunization programs in European countries now and in the coming years.

- Decision-making objectives:
  - Explore & understand the evolving criteria influencing national decision-making processes for the introduction of vaccines for adults
  - Identify pivotal factors facilitating effective decision-making in different European countries
- Implementation objectives: planning and managing
  - Investigate the current status and evolution of vaccination programs for adults in EU
  - Analyze the implementation procedures of vaccines for adults, including setting goals & targets, defining the scope of application, identifying target populations, selecting introduction strategies, & managing the planning, scheduling, coordination, & associated costs
- Monitoring and Evaluation objectives:
  - Gain valuable insights from monitoring, evaluation, & impact assessment examples across European adult vaccination program
  - Utilize lessons learned from real-world scenarios to enhance the efficiency and impact of adult vaccination introduction

Intended impact

In light of the increasing implementation of adult vaccines within lifelong vaccination initiatives across several EU countries, the AIB aims to convene to explore the latest strategies and valuable insights regarding the implementation of adult vaccines into National Immunization Programs. Through this meeting, the AIB seeks to gather diverse perspectives from various contexts, vaccines for adults, and disciplines.

Target Audience

Public health experts, policy makers, healthcare professionals, academics with expertise/ interest in the introduction and implementation of vaccines for adults
AIB advisors and observers

Background document

Link –> Background-document
The background document contains background information on the topic of the meeting, a selection of scientific references and abstracts related to the different presentations.

Agenda

PFD Meeting agenda overview – AIB technical meeting
Program Adult Immunization Board_ TM2 _April 2024

Thursday, 18 April 2024

SESSION 1: Opening, Introduction and Objectives
Chairs: Greet Hendrickx Van Damme and Paolo Bonanni

Welcome and Introduction of the Adult Immunization Board (AIB) /
Greet Hendrickx (University of Antwerp, Belgium)

Introduction of the meeting definitions, framework and expected outcomes + Introduction of meeting participants/
Paolo Bonanni (University of Florence, Italy)

SESSION 2: Deciding on the introduction of vaccines for adults: what are the criteria for inclusion in a national vaccination program?
Chairs: Greet Hendrickx Van Damme and Paolo Bonanni

National decision-making for the introduction of new vaccines a global systematic review, 2010-2020 /
Morgane Donadel and Abigail Shefer (US. CDC Global Immunization Division)

Vaccine delivery costing to support decision-making /
Karene Hoi Ting Yeung (Value of Vaccines, Modelling and Economics Team Immunization Analysis and Insights Unit Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization)

Role of the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups in 13 European countries in the decision-making process on vaccine recommendations /
Domenico Martinelli (University of Foggia, Italy)

The UK decision on RSV vaccination in adults in the national immunization program/
Harish Nair (Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of Edinburgh, UK)

Chairs: Giovanni Gabutti and Heini Salo

The German decision on Pneumococcal vaccination in adults in the national immunization program/
Ole Wichmann (Immunization Unit, Robert Koch institute, Germany)

The Belgian decision on Herpes Zoster vaccination in adults in the national immunization program/
Isabel Leroux-Roels (Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University Hospital, Belgium)

SESSION 3: Vaccine Implementation: planning and managing

Implementation science_What is it and why should we care for implementing, adopting and maintaining vaccination practices /
Michel Wensing (Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany)

3.1 Investigate the current status & evolution of vaccination programs for adults in EU
Chairs: Birgit Weinberger and Thomas Weinke

The evolution and current status of vaccination programs for adults in Europe/
Helena Maltezou (National Public Health Organization, Athens, Greece)

3.2 Objectives and goal(s) / targets of adult vaccination programs
Chairs: Birgit Weinberger and Thomas Weinke

Control, elimination and eradication goals for communicable diseases (focus on prevention targets of different adult vaccination programs /
Laila Khawar (Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia)

Scientific approaches toward improving cervical cancer elimination strategies /
Laia Bruni (Cancer Epidemiology Research Program Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), IDIBELL Barcelona, Spain)

3.3 Identification of target population
Chair: Jacek Wysocki and Stefania Maggi

Assessing and improving the accuracy of target population estimates for immunization coverage /
Carolina Danovaro (Immunization Analytics and Insights, Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, Geneva, Switzerland)

Target population of COVID-19 adult vaccination in Europe_evolution and current status /
Hanna Nohynek (Chief physician, WHO SAGE chair, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland)

3.4 Selection of introduction strategy and implementation activities (Part 1)
Chair: Jacek Wysocki and Stefania Maggi

Leveraging lessons from COVID-19 to improve adult immunization
/ Rebecca Forman (Maastricht University, The Netherlands)

Introduction of RSV Vaccines in older adults and pregnant women in the US (focus on organizational aspects)
/ Michael Melgar (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))

Friday, 19 April 2024

3.4 Selection of introduction strategy and implementation activities (Part 2)
Chair: Sotirios Tsiodras and Odile Launay

Equipping healthcare professionals and students_The role of training for implementing vaccines for adults /
Kamel Senouci (Director ADVAC, University of Geneva, Switzerland)

Communicating with the public about vaccines/
Jacob Dag Berild (Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway)

The impact of pharmacist involvement on immunization uptake in Europe /
Marleen Haems (General manager Flemish Pharmacists’ Network (VAN), Belgium)

How and why to set goals_lessons learned from the seasonal Influenza vaccination strategy /
Kanta Subbarao (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza & Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity)

SESSION 4: Monitoring – impact assessment
Chairs: Robert Steffen and Ligita Jancoriene

From insights to implementation_using Behavioural and Cultural Insights (BCI) to increase vaccine uptake /
Tiina Likki (Behavioural and Cultural Insights Unit WHO Regional Office for Europe)

Adult vaccination program as part of the lift time vaccination in Spain_its cost and investment/
Laura Sánchez-Cambronero (D.G. Public Health. Ministry of Health, Spain)

Monitoring Influenza COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Europe/
Esther Kissling (Epiconcept)

Safety Monitoring of COVID-19 and other vaccines for adults in the EU /
Jean-Michel Dogné (University of Namur, Belgium)

SESSION 5-6: Break-out session, meeting summary, final discussion and closing remarks
Chairs: Pierre Van Damme and Paolo Bonanni

Conclusion of the meeting / Chloé Wyndham-Thomas (P95)
Discussion and closing of the meeting

Technical meeting (Prague, April 2024)