Pre-conference: Vaccination uptake across the life course: a social and behavioural perspective (VACC)

Tuesday 11 November, 09:00 – 12:30 Helsinki time
(ending with network lunch at 12:30)


Organised by

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC); EUPHA Infectious  diseases control section; Proposed EUPHA behavioural sciences in public health section; Radboud University Medical Centre, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM); Public Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond, The Netherlands; Babes Bolyai University, Romania

Background

Achieving adequate vaccination uptake rates remains an important challenge for the public health community to contribute to overall health of the population.

The term vaccine hesitancy is broadly used for various aspects related to vaccination attitudes, decision-making and behaviour. In this pre-conference workshop, we will start by taking a closer look at the concepts, what vaccine hesitancy is (and what it is not) with a first presentation. The shift from vaccine hesitancy towards vaccination acceptance and uptake that captures much more appropriate theoretical and practical approaches will be highlighted.

Following this, a presentation from ECDC will focus on the 5C’s framework to promote vaccination acceptance and uptake across the life course through the application of a social and behavioural science approach. The 5C’s (Confidence, Constraints, Complacency, Calculation, and Collective Responsibility) will be presented as a basis to understand social and behavioural barriers and facilitators of vaccination acceptance and uptake, and for designing tailored interventions targeting specific population groups. The presentation will include key practical tools included in the ECDC operational support document: a survey tools and analysis plan that experts at national and subnational levels can use to look for relevant evidence to inform their actions.  

The case study from Romania will illustrate the application of the 5C model to MMR vaccination in rural communities during a measles epidemic, based on accounts from 29 family physicians and community health workers who care for over 11,000 rural children. 

The example of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, will describe a qualitative study into the barriers of childhood vaccinations among parents with a Moroccan and Turkish background, a group which no longer vaccinates their youngest children anymore. 

Following the presentations, small group discussions will be held, to discuss, share and learn from participants’ experiences. Discussions will focus on: 

  1. sharing experiences from participants from different countries;
  2. discussing how the 5C model can be implemented, more specifically the survey tool. 

The small group discussions will be aimed at identifying similarities and differences in challenges around vaccination acceptance and uptake, as well as practical steps that countries can take to increase vaccination uptake among various age groups and specific population groups, by using, for example, the survey tool.

The pre-conference will end with a summary and conclusions in the plenary.

Moderators

  • Aura Timen, Head Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands
  • Mart van Dijk, Behavioural scientist, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Netherlands

Speakers

  • Daphne Bussink-Voorend, MD Communicable Disease Control and PhD candidate Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands 
  • Irina Ljungqvist, Principal Expert Prevention, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
  • Oana Blaga, Assistant Professor, Babes Bolyai University Romania
  • Hélène Voeten, Senior Researcher, Public Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond, the Netherlands

Outline

  1. Reframe the concepts: from vaccine hesitancy to vaccination acceptance and uptake
  2. 5C model framework for understanding social and behavioural barriers and facilitators of vaccination in specific populations and related survey tool for identifying challenges and needs. Library of country interventions to increase overall vaccination acceptance and uptake - ECDC document published April 2025
  3. Practical examples or interventions: Romania and The Netherlands
  4. Group work
  5. Conclusions and closure

Programme

Detailed programme will follow.

Registration

The registration fee is EUR 80. Networking lunch and refreshments are included.