The launch of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030 (the Decade) represents an unprecedented opportunity for advancing life course immunization initiatives as a part of " concerted, catalytic and collaborative action to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live."
Life course immunization is a critical element of healthy ageing that intersects and impacts the four action areas of the Decade:
- Changing how we think, feel and act towards age and ageing;
- Ensuring that communities foster the abilities of older people;
- Delivering person-centred integrated care and primary health services responsive to older people; and
- Providing access to long-term care for older people who need it.
This newsletter serves as an opportunity for World Coalition on Adult Vaccination members to exchange knowledge on strategic alignment with action areas, and is a means of galvanizing global action towards improving immunization policies.
The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) appreciates the contribution of Coalition members in this edition of the Vaccines4Life Newsletter and is encouraged by the concerted focus and solidarity in advocating for equitable access to safe, affordable and effective vaccines throughout the life course.
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Good Practice in Targeted Vaccination Communication
16 February 2021
This town hall features a conversation with Mr. Philip Weiss (Founder, Chairman and Chief Hyperthinker, ZN Consulting) and highlights the significance of targeted communication strategies in vaccination campaigns.
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Listening Session: Is there a gold standard for adult vaccination in the UK?
13 April 2021
Join this listening session to learn about and advocate for improved adult vaccination for those most at-risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. Please contact IFA Project Officer, Ms. Sheila Amri to register your interest.
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Global Vaccines and Immunization Research Forum
22-25 February 2021
This event features keynote addresses from Dr. Anthony Fauci (Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Chief Scientist, WHO Headquarters Leadership Team) and Mr. Bill Gates (Co-founder and Co-chairman, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and sessions on Epidemic Preparedness and Response; Ensuring Equitable Access for All; and Immunity Over the Life Course.
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Towards Ending Immunization Inequity
Call for Input: Understanding Equity
Immunization is one of the most effective public health interventions of our time, yet vaccination rates are shamefully inadequate in the most at-risk populations of older people and those with underlying chronic conditions around the world.
Why adult influenza vaccination programs are not reaching the most at-risk populations should be a question on the agenda of all governments, especially today. “Towards Ending Immunization Inequity” is an initiative that seeks to understand the effect of social determinants on influenza messages and campaigns as a unique policy lever to improve uptake rates of adult vaccination.
In order to achieve this goal the IFA needs to hear from you! If you are an individual who works with older adults we want to hear from you to better understand how equity is conceptualized and operationalized within your organizations and countries of origin.
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In this short video, Baroness Sally Greengross shares perspectives on the links between equitable life course immunization policies and the function of individuals, communities and societies.
To learn more and contribute to this important dialogue please contact Ms. Anna Sangster, Program Manager at the IFA.
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Improving Adult Influenza Vaccination in Canada:
Learning from International Good Practices
Although Canada has a universal health care system, each province and territory defines its own adult influenza immunization schedule, which may differ in vaccine availability, reimbursement and eligibility criteria. Canadians deserve a national adult immunization framework that is equitable and accessible regardless of the place of residence.
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Within a three-part virtual meeting series entitled “Improving Adult Influenza Vaccination in Canada: Learning from International Good Practices” and held between September to November 2020, health professionals and experts in immunization, public health, ageing, and patient advocacy exchanged knowledge on the challenges, core principles, and strategies that underpin a national influenza immunization program in Canada.
Aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) Immunization Agenda 2030: A Global Strategy to Leave No One Behind and in the context of the Decade, delegates identified actions urgently needed to execute a life course immunization strategy. Recommendations centre around the need to harmonize immunization policies and services within a standardized national infrastructure, particularly in the context of community settings.
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Pneumonia vaccination in at-risk groups: A Canadian perspective
Increasing Relevance in a Pandemic Era
Adult pneumococcal vaccination is an essential component of a comprehensive life course immunization program, as a means of maintaining functional capacity and preventing severe acute complications and long-term functional and cognitive decline. Despite the serious burden of pneumonia, just 58% of Canadians aged 65 years and older, and only 25% of at-risk adults aged 18 to 64 years were vaccinated in 2019.
In October 2020 IFA convened a hybrid expert meeting in Toronto, Canada, as a forum to bring attention to the significant burden of pneumonia on at-risk populations and inform immunization policies and practices within Canada with innovative solutions.
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Bringing Canadian Patient Organizations Together in the
Fight Against Influenza
Influenza is among the leading causes for hospitalization in older adults in Canada. In the 2018-2019 influenza season, vaccination rates fell well below the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) target of 80 per cent. Civil society organizations (CSOs) including patient, professional and seniors’ organizations have the opportunity to positively influence influenza vaccine uptake rates, considering their vast reach of at-risk groups.
Through a series of interviews with key decision makers and influencers of CSOs in Canada, this study investigates the reasons behind the poor prioritization of adult influenza vaccination by CSOs in Canada. Findings from this study suggest that there is a general understanding of the importance of influenza vaccination to the lives of at- risk populations but that organizations face considerable barriers in prioritizing adult influenza vaccination. Read the qualitative report to learn more.
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World Coalition on Adult Vaccination Member Updates |
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The cost of failing to invest in preventative interventions across the life course |
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It is never too late to prevent, and the health and economic costs of failing to invest in preventative interventions across the life course, such as immunisation, are simply too high to ignore.
ILC-UK research has found that among those aged 50-64 years, the flu – a vaccine preventable disease – costs better off countries $39 billion in sick days, presenteeism and early retirement every year.
2020 marked the launch of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, but we are still a long way off from achieving this. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore all too starkly the urgent need to match commitment with action.
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Democratising access to prevention – to reduce health inequalities.
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Inspiring and engaging policymakers, healthcare professionals and individuals – to invest, promote and take action on prevention.
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Effectively utilising technology – to improve access to health care, improve uptake rates, reduce barriers and empower patients.
If you are interested in being involved in this programme, contact [email protected].
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New State of Grandfamilies Report Answers Vaccine Questions for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults are being told to keep their distance from children. This is not possible for over two million grandparents raising their grandchildren full time, many of whom are 60 and older and at greater risk if exposed to the virus. These grandfamily caregivers play a critical role in the children’s lives. For many, if they were to die or become too ill to care for them, the children would end up in foster care.
This report, which complements the organization’s Valuing Vaccinations Across Generations campaign, includes a section that answers questions about the new COVID-19 vaccines and encourages grandfamilies to stay up to date on their flu shots.
Generations United’s vaccine campaign, launched in 2016, is an international effort aimed at promoting vaccines through a lifespan approach by providing tools and resources to encourage intergenerational conversations.
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Vaccines Today has seen a strong surge in traffic to its website and social media channels in recent weeks as the first COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out. This increase is similar to that seen in early spring 2020 when the SARS-CoV-2 virus began circulating and people around the world searched for information about potential vaccines.
Like many members of the World Coalition on Adult Vaccination, Vaccines Today is working to meet the growing demand for information from people of all ages. On its social challenges, particularly on Facebook, older adults are a key demographic – and a group reportedly at significant risk of misinformation.
‘We see this as an opportunity to help people find what they are looking for and offer additional information about vaccination for people of all ages,’ says Gary Finnegan, Editor of Vaccines Today. ‘Those who come with questions about COVID-19 can also learn a little about meningitis or flu.’
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New guide to combatting vaccine misinformation |
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A new "Vaccine Misinformation Management Guide" has been published by UNICEF in a bid to equip health authorities, CSOs and others to deal with the onslaught of dangerous rumours about vaccine safety.
Written by Gary Finnegan, Editor of Vaccines Today, and Angus Thomson, a UNICEF consultant and member of the Vaccines Today Editorial Board, the guide pulls together the resources and the latest thinking on tracking and tackling false information.
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A Call for Collective Action to Improve Life Course Immunization
The Decade of Healthy Aging 2020-2030 begins a new era in vaccinating older people. We invite all Latin American countries to adopt defined schemes with expanded immunization programs and plans in older people in order to strengthen current schemes and generate research projects that allow the improvement and development of vaccines that respond effectively in the immunosenescence process.
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We support the Group " Confianza en las vacunas Latino América" made up of different health specialists, in order to generate effective communication strategies based on evidence with a multidisciplinary, multisectoral and horizontal approach.
We work from three perspectives:
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Trust: Credibility in health professionals, in vaccines and in their efficacy.
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Complacency: low perception of the risks and diseases preventable by vaccines and the importance of this tool.
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Convenience: Availability and accessibility to vaccines and health services.
In this way we join forces so that communication generates a positive impact and contributes to improving vaccination coverage at all stages of life.
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International Council of Nurses Statement on COVID-19 Vaccinations
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The International Council of Nurses calls on the public to embrace properly tested and regulated COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are available in this recent statement:
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Are you interested in joining the Coalition?
Visit the new Vaccines4Life website to submit an expression of interest.
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Follow adult vaccination at the IFA |
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