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Permalink Reply by Gary Finnegan on April 1, 2011 at 9:57

Engaging with the public on any concerns they may have which make them uneasy about vaccination is crucial. Forums like this one are a great start :)

 

Also, the EU should continue to look beyond its own borders in containing communicable diseases. The WHO (correctly, in my view) takes a much broader definition of 'Europe' but it's important that we always look beyond our borders as well as working to improve conditions within.

 

The US invests in TB prevention programmes in Mexico not (just) because they want to help Mexicans but because their huge border is porous and diseases don't care for immigration check-points. This, to borrow a phrase, is a shared solution to a common threat.

 

Obviously, supporting health systems in poorer countries is the right thing to do. But if that's not a good enough argument, we can always appeal to self-interest. Helping your neighbour is good for everyone.

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Permalink Reply by Robb Butler on April 1, 2011 at 16:13

Thanks Gary, for your thoughtful response. 

Great points. The Mexico-US partnership is a good example of a shared solution between two sovereign Member States.

What about examples from the European Region, from within the immunization sector ? I can see, from the membership of the EIW campaign site, that nearly half the countries of the Region are represented on this site.  Has anyone any experiences or best practices to share with the rest of us ?

 

 

 

Are there examples from the European Region?

Gary Finnegan said:

Engaging with the public on any concerns they may have which make them uneasy about vaccination is crucial. Forums like this one are a great start :)

 

Also, the EU should continue to look beyond its own borders in containing communicable diseases. The WHO (correctly, in my view) takes a much broader definition of 'Europe' but it's important that we always look beyond our borders as well as working to improve conditions within.

 

The US invests in TB prevention programmes in Mexico not (just) because they want to help Mexicans but because their huge border is porous and diseases don't care for immigration check-points. This, to borrow a phrase, is a shared solution to a common threat.

 

Obviously, supporting health systems in poorer countries is the right thing to do. But if that's not a good enough argument, we can always appeal to self-interest. Helping your neighbour is good for everyone.

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Permalink Reply by Pier Luigi Lopalco on April 20, 2012 at 9:05

To reach the measles and rubella elimination goal by 2015 it is necessary to wipe out the large susceptible population that have been accumulating during the past two decades in most European countries. Member States should put in place extraordinary measures, because just keeping the routine vaccination system efficient at the current levels is not enough. Catch-up campaigns and supplementary imunisation activities must be put in place. The EU should support member states efforts within and beyond the borders doing what is possible according to the mandate.

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Permalink Reply by Gary Finnegan on April 20, 2012 at 10:05

The Lisbon Treaty gives the EU a little more scope to act (with Member States) in areas of public health which are of common interest. To my mind, this perfectly describes immunisation.

Perhaps countries with EU candidate status should join the ECDC at an earlier stage of the accession process.

Of course, they are all members of the 53-member WHO European Region :)

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