Did you know that you could take #VaccinAction today, protecting you and those around you from disease?
Vaccines prevent diseases that could otherwise cause serious health problems, protecting adults, families, friends, communities and healthcare systems.
Vaccination is not just necessary to combat COVID-19. It’s essential to reduce the spread of influenza, meningitis, pneumococcal diseases, rubella, hepatises and many other harmful diseases, which can result in long term health consequences.
Three years on and Covid-19 still exists on a global scale, deadly, and with new variants mutating. Here is what member states can do to prevent another outbreak and ensure #CareForAll.
COVID-19 not only brought catastrophic numbers of cases and deaths across the globe; it also shone a spotlight on the weaknesses of our healthcare systems, surfacing the lack of investment in public health and pandemic preparedness overall. To support European member states in their defence against COVID-19, policymakers put measures in place tackling the then-unknown pandemic.
Three years on, the pandemic still exists, and remains deadly, especially for patients who are within at a higher-risk groups. Yet, European member states are deprioritising COVID-19 care, with the recommended actions to fight the pandemic seen to have been put aside.
Did you know that you could take #VaccinAction in 2022 and talk to your healthcare professional today?
Vaccinations are effective and important at any age - they protect people, families, societies and healthcare systems.
Diseases such as meningitis, diphtheria, pneumococcal disease, influenza and other vaccine preventable diseases can have serious and potentially long-term consequences.
Did you know that:
Individuals taking #VaccinAction and talking to their healthcare professionals is vital but institutions must also step up to support a life-long culture around immunisation. Institutions must:
- Support healthcare professionals to ensure that all individuals are urged to consider their vaccine status.
- Reduce health inequalities by ensuring that all adults are aware of their vaccine eligibility.
- Increase funding and ensure effective implementation of National Immunisation Plans to protect vulnerable people and healthcare systems.
- Ensure coverage targets for adult vaccination are in line with childhood targets and recognise the role that civil society organisations play in prioritising a life-long immunisation culture.
Let’s drive #VaccinAction in 2022.
The campaign #VaccinAction 2022 has been developed in the framework of the VaccinAction Project
Images of the campaign:
List of References
1. Benefits of vaccination for individuals. European vaccination information portal
https://vaccination-info.eu/en/vaccination/benefits-vaccination-individuals
2. Sourya Shrestha, Betsy Foxman, Joshua Berus, Willem G van Panhuis, Claudia Steiner, Cécile Viboud, Pejman Rohani (2015). The role of influenza in the epidemiology of pneumonia
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26486591/
3. Dominic C. Marshall, Ross J. Goodson, Yiwang Xu, Matthieu Komorowski, Joseph Shalhoub, Mahiben Maruthappu & Justin D. Salciccioli (2018). Trends in mortality from pneumonia in the Europe union: a temporal analysis of the European detailed mortality database between 2001 and 2014
https://respiratory-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12931-018-0781-4
4. Factsheet about pneumococcal disease. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/pneumococcal-disease/facts
5. Young June Choe, Michael A Smit, Leonard A Mermel (2019). Seasonality of respiratory viruses and bacterial pathogens
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31367346/
In the framework of the project Increasing consciousness and access to treatment, reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases across Europe ACN co-builted ( with the associations involved in the project) an European and national awareness campaign on proper lifestyles and on the prevention of the risks linked to cardiovascular disorders. It was decided to avoid threat/fear messages and the use of a dramatic style but to put at the heart of this campaign the feelings of hope, happiness and personal empowerment to inspire and motivate the audience.
In the framework of the project EU PAGs & citizens together in the fight against stroke, Active Citizenship Network has launched in Nov, 2021 "Knowing your patients' rights and come back to cure”, an EU social media awareness campaign designed as a follow up of the EU training webinar "Stroke prevention & Life after stroke, during the Pandemic", which took place on October 29, 2021 in occasion of the “World Stroke Day”. The campaign was realized thanks to a collection of statements & pictures of the leaders of Patients Advocacy Groups (PAGs) and civic organizations engaged in the training and focused on the positive, emotional values of stroke prevention to send clear messages on the topic directly from citizens to citizens.
The initiative – launced in Nov. 2021 - has been developed by Active Citizenship Network in the framework of the EU project "Protecting the value of vaccination during - and after - the COVID-19 pandemic across Europe: impact, experiences and perspectives from citizens’ and patients’ advocacy groups & relevant stakeholders", to support the COVID-19 vaccination environment while enhancing the uptake of routine immunisation.
In recent months, it hasn’t always been easy to see a doctor. And now, as life slowly gets back to something like normal, it can be difficult to pick up where you left off. Staying in control of our lives can be a daily struggle—especially this year, and especially for those who live with a chronic condition. It’s time for a change. It’s time to work together to take back control. It’s time to focus on our health again.
Parliament realized on November 2017 to raise awareness on patient’s requirements and preferences from the healthcare agenda. The initiative was promoted by Medicines for Europe and supported by civic & patients partner association, such as European Federation of Neurological Associations, European Huntington Association and Active Citizenship Network.
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the European Patients’ Rights Day, Active Citizenship Network has decided to organize a widespread campaign in 2016 in cooperation with some of the national patient associations involved in its network.
Framework
Patients want to access cross-border health services when treatment is not available in their home country, when it is managed better elsewhere, or, as in the case of many border areas, when the nearest available care is in another Member State. Currently, cross-border healthcare accounts for approximately 1% of the overall EU public health spending – around €10 billion per year.
As Board Member of PAE, Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network supported along the 2016 the Written Declaration and the communication campaign on access to employment for those affected by neurological disorders and chronic pain conditions. The initiative was promoted by the European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) and Pain Alliance Europe (PAE) with the aim to encourage research into and access to innovative treatments, promote prevention and self-management approaches, decrease stigma and work together to improve quality of life for people living with these disabling conditions. Read more.