Immunisation for a Resilient Europe
MBVE’s Call to Action urges EU institutions and Member States to turn Europe’s immunisation commitments into measurable national action, treating it as a strategic investment in health, resilience, productivity, and competitiveness.
Immunisation delivers - Europe underinvests
Four fronts for a resilient Europe
Data & Evidence
You can’t fix what you don’t measure. Europe lacks the common framework to evaluate what immunisation is truly worth.
Vaccine Confidence
Misinformation doesn’t respect borders. Neither should Europe’s response.
Citizens’ Access
Too many Europeans - particularly older adults and disadvantaged groups - are still not reached by immunisation programmes.
Investment
Less than 0.5% of health budgets go to immunisation, yet it delivers some of the highest returns on investment.
We call on EU institutions and Member States to act
Count prevention properly - then fund what counts.
National budget processes systematically undervalue immunisation - but the fix is not solely more money, it is better accounting. Member States should adopt multi-annual prevention investment plans that quantify the savings they generate over time, and the EU should use the flexibility within the New Economic Governance Framework to allow that investment to happen. Italy has shown what this looks like: its Senate has formally recognised immunisation as a priority for social and economic resilience. Prevention is a strategic investment, not a cost - and the EU should actively encourage Member States to treat it as one.
Translate immunisation commitments into measurable national action.
Article 35 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees everyone the right of access to preventive health care - placing a duty on Member States to set measurable targets, report on progress, and be accountable to their citizens. The EU’s Cancer Plan target of 90% HPV coverage among girls is one commitment Member States must now deliver - the Council Recommendation on immunisation for the prevention of CVDs and their complications proposed in the Safe Hearts Plan should set equally clear targets for cardiovascular health. These are examples of that responsibility, not its limit.
Make Europe the standard-bearer for evidence-based health information.
In an era of geopolitical instability and retreating international institutions, strong immunisation systems are a matter of health security and resilience - and Europe has a responsibility to lead on scientific, evidence-based public health. Vaccine misinformation spreads without borders, and so too must Europe’s response. The EU should use the Global Health Resilience Initiative to position Europe as a global leader that strengthens international collaboration and best practice on evidence-based public health.
Endorse the Call to Action
Organisations and individuals who share these goals are invited to endorse the MBVE Call to Action. The simplest way is to email us - tell us who you are and that you wish to endorse, and the Secretariat will add your name.
Prevention that Saves - European Parliament, 25 June 2026
The Call to Action was presented at Prevention that Saves: EU Leadership and National Action on Vaccination, an event bringing together Members of the European Parliament, clinical experts, civil society and practitioners - with contributions from the European Medicines Agency, DG SANTE and MBVE members, and closing remarks from MBVE Chair Prof. Walter Ricciardi and MEP Aurelijus Veryga.