Vaccine promotion policies for COVID-19

Together, Timo and Inge bring extensive expertise in evidence-based health policy. Inge explains: “During my PhD, I focused on how policymakers use evidence-based information to shape vaccine policies. Even when the information is clear, policies often differ between countries.” According to Inge, economics plays a significant role in these decisions. “For instance, the United States offers chickenpox vaccines to young children, whereas the Netherlands does not. These decisions are partly influenced by the economic impact of parents needing to care for a sick child at home.”

But policy decisions go beyond economics. Access to vaccines also varies across countries. Timo adds: “Lower-income countries receive support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. But once they move to middle-income status, that support ends, leaving their immunisation programmes vulnerable.” Recognising the importance of global access to vaccines, the World Health Organization organises World Immunisation Week each year to raise awareness. Co- OPERATOR, meanwhile, aims to collect and disseminate knowledge and best practices on advancing communication and skills for promoting vaccination messages to the population. 

Inge continues: “COVID-19 has had an enormous impact globally, and we want to learn from different experiences and used vaccination practices and policies in a European context. Co-OPERATOR is a hub of researchers working to identify and address the systemic barriers — and facilitators — to effective vaccine communication.” Timo adds: “We’re trying to understand why some people are hesitant to accept the COVID-19 vaccine, even when they are part of a vulnerable group.” The project targets two key audiences: healthcare workers, who need tools to communicate more effectively with hesitant individuals, and the general population, who are often exposed to misinformation online. The ultimate goal is to increase vaccine uptake.

Before implementing any recommendations, Timo and Inge are bringing together policymakers and researchers from five EU countries for a policy lab in Maastricht. Inge explains: “We’ll test whether our findings align with national policies and explore any barriers or enablers they encounter. As a happy coincidence, the policy lab takes place during World Immunisation Week.”

Beyond COVID-19 hesitancy, global immunisation rates are declining. According to Inge, ironically, this may be due to the success of vaccines. “Because we no longer see many vaccine-preventable diseases in the Western world, people begin to question whether vaccines are still necessary. In places like Hong Kong, for instance, older generations who remember the impact of polio serve as powerful advocates for vaccination.”

Timo and Inge hope that their work on COVID-19 vaccines will have broader applications. “The insights and methods we’re developing could also help support campaigns for other important vaccines,” Timo notes. By combining academic expertise and EU-wide collaboration, they aim to support the WHO’s and EU’s vaccination goals — not just during World Immunisation Week, but year-round.