European healthcare professionals welcome the European Commission’s recommendation to support EU countries in their efforts to prevent cancer through vaccination against Human papillomaviruses (HPV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV).
The Coalition is particularly pleased to see that the measures include providing vaccination free of charge and/or fully reimbursed, ensuring that vaccination is easily accessible, and setting a concrete target for HPV vaccination for boys.
Moreover, it is important that EU countries will be supported to strengthen communication efforts and address mis- and disinformation, improve monitoring and reporting of vaccination coverage, and put electronic vaccination registries in place.
Finally, European healthcare professionals agree that immunisation against vaccine-preventable cancers should be integrated into national cancer plans.
The Coalition for Vaccination reaffirms that vaccination is a safe and efficient way of protecting individuals and populations from vaccine-preventable communicable diseases.
Healthcare professionals are trusted sources of information for patients, parents, young people and carers, and they can help families make informed decisions that contribute to public health. Moreover, they can help build vaccine confidence and address mis- and disinformation by sharing facts and reliable information among their communities.
The Coalition for Vaccination, co-chaired by the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN), the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), and the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU), calls on the EU policymakers to keep vaccination high on the political agenda.