The theme of this session relates to the information need and systems required to support efficient implementation of national immunisation programmes. Like most infections, vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) spread regardless of political and administrative borders. Therefore, not only effort within a territory, but also between Member States is needed to achieve adequate protection of the population against VPD. Much has been achieved in the past decade around EU wide disease surveillance, and monitoring immunisation systems as can be seen in the recent ECDC report on Immunisation information systems in the EU/EEA.

Still, European Public Health is faced with a broad diversity of immunisation policies, and a wide variety of information systems informing those policies. The recent launch by the European Commission of the Joint Action for Vaccination (JA-03-2017) provides hope for further harmonization of these policies across Europe.

This session aims to gather stakeholder views from five different sectors, on addressing the information needs to inform efficient immunisation policies.

Panellists and the audience are invited to participate in a discussion to explore innovative ideas for enhancing future data systems to inform immunisation policy. The discussion will include brief debating sessions on two challenging positions regarding immunisation registries and data collections. The audience will be able to submit questions and proposals for European action points via an interactive online tool.

Speakers & panellists

Discussion starting points

Five panellists will provide starting points for discussion, by delivering brief "impulse statements". The statements will provide different perspectives on the topic of immunisation registries.

Interventions from

·         MARTIN SEYCHELL, Deputy Director General, DG SANTE, European Commission

·         RUTGER-JAN VAN DER GAAG, Vice President, Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)

·         JEAN-LOUIS KOECK, Founder of Mesvaccins.net, French Electronic Immunisation Record System

·         ANTONIO GAUDIOSO, Secretary General, Cittadinanzattiva, Active Citizenship Network

·         ROUMYANA PETROVA-BENEDICT, Senior Regional Migration Health Advisor, International Organisation for Migration (IOM)

·         LARYN MCLERNON, Lecturer, Management Center Innsbruck, Austria and member of the Young Forum Gastein

Moderation

·         ARNOLD BOSMAN, Public Health Consultant, Transmissible, the Netherlands

Discussion promoted by

PIER LUIGI LOPALCO, Professor of Hygiene, University of Pisa