European vaccination experts gather at UAntwerp

Belgium’s Queen Mathilde met European experts at a congress on international vaccination policy on Wednesday, an event sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Antwerp University (UAntwerp). The three-day event is the first WHO congress at UAntwerp. 

WHO’s European division annually organises a congress on vaccination, in which 53 experts examine the challenges of vaccination policies. About 150 international experts participated in this first edition. The central topic was the European Vaccine Action Plan (EVAP), which was analysed yesterday in five sessions.

“EVAP includes guidelines on the monitoring of preventable diseases, the priorities of the vaccination policy, integration in the different health-care systems and long-term action plans,” explained UAntwerp professor Pierre Van Damme in a statement. “It’s important to agree to clear policies on a regular basis so that we can deal with infectious diseases across borders.”

The queen was present during the session that focused on the best methods to reach multiple target groups. Target groups include adolescents and adults but also migrant groups that end up in different health-care systems in various countries. There was special attention paid to the current asylum crisis. Experts discussed ways to achieve equal access to vaccination programmes.

Queen Mathilde takes a special interest in health care initiatives and has previously attended a vaccination symposium at UAntwerp.

Photo courtesy Antwerp University

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