Prevention that Saves: EU Leadership and National Action on Vaccination

Please note: In-person registration is now closed. However, if you would like to join online or if you already have an EP badge, please contact [email protected].

Vaccination stands as one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions in modern medicine. Beyond preventing infectious disease outbreaks, it is a cornerstone of resilient health systems, a catalyst for healthy ageing, and a vital tool in mitigating the complications of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Yet, across the European Union, a critical challenge remains: translating high-level EU health commitments into harmonised, fully funded, and effective national vaccination programmes.

This exclusive policy event brings together Members of the European Parliament, leading clinical experts, civil society stakeholders, and practitioners to bridge the gap between European ambition and national implementation.

The event is hosted by a Member of the European Parliament and former national Minister of Health – MEP Aurelijus Veryga (Lithuania, ECR). Drawing on their extensive firsthand experience navigating both European policymaking and national healthcare administration, the dialogue will focus on actionable strategies to elevate immunisation on the EU agenda.

Key Themes & Discussion Points:

  • EU Leadership in Bridging the Policy Gap: Strategies to ensure Member States establish concrete benchmarks and successfully deploy EU-level vaccination recommendations on the ground.
  • Disease Prevention:  Understanding that vaccines also play a role in preventing other diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
  • Tackling Vaccine Hesitancy: Discussing the Global Health Resilience Initiative which explicitly states that vaccine misinformation is a direct health security threat.
  • Strategic Investment & EU Competitiveness: Reframing vaccination expenditure as a strategic economic investment which protects the workforce and reduces the burden on hospitals.

Vaccination is a foundational pillar of a resilience health system. Join us in Brussels as we outline the next steps required to guarantee that life-saving prevention strategies reach every citizen, in every Member State. 

Agenda

09:30 – 09:40
Welcome and opening remarks
MEP Veryga, host
Session 1
EU leadership on vaccination: turning policy ambition into health outcomes
Moderated by Prof. Walter Ricciardi
09:40 – 10:05
This session will explore how the EU can strengthen its leadership on vaccination at a time when prevention, preparedness and competitiveness are increasingly high on the political agenda. From the Global Health Resilience Initiative and EU4Health to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Safe Hearts Plan, several EU initiatives now recognise vaccination as a tool for prevention, resilience and health-system sustainability. Beyond taking stock of current EU initiatives, speakers will discuss what level of ambition Europe should set for vaccination policy, both within the EU and globally. The discussion will identify where progress is being made, where important gaps remain — including on investment, confidence, adult immunisation, implementation and global health resilience — and what political follow-up is needed to turn EU leadership into concrete impact.
Speakers
Prof. Daniel Kelly, MBVE Vice-Chair and Chair HPV and Hep B Network, European Cancer Organisation
Marco Cavaleri, Head of Anti-infectives and Vaccines, European Medicines Agency
Ingrid Keller, DG SANTE, European Commission
Maria Dutarte, Executive Director, European Patients’ Academy (EUPATI)
10:05 – 10:30
Panel discussion
Moderated by Prof. Ricciardi
Session 2
National action on vaccination: what works, what saves, and how to scale it
Moderated by Prof. Walter Ricciardi and Dr. Hristiana Batselova
10:30 – 10:55
This session will focus on concrete examples of how countries and regions are strengthening vaccination and prevention in practice. Speakers will share recent developments, successful approaches and lessons learned from national or regional initiatives, including how they were designed, implemented and supported politically. The discussion will look at what has worked, why it has made a difference, and how these experiences can inform wider action across Europe — particularly on adult immunisation, confidence, access and prevention-focused health systems. Speakers will also be invited to identify practical steps Member States can take to close the gap between ambition and implementation, and where EU tools such as EU4Health, the European Semester and future budget frameworks can help support stronger national investment.
Speakers
Dr. Heidi Theeten, Flemish Department of Care, EUREGHA member
Dr Matilde Zornoza-Moreno, Vaccination Program Technician, Spanish Association of Vaccinology and MBVE member (Spain)
Dr Linda Sanftenberg, Deputy Chair, National Alliance and Board of Immunisation (NABI) and MBVE member (Germany)
Alison Maassen, Programme Manager, EuroHealthNet and MBVE Observer
10:55 – 11:20
Panel discussion
Moderated by Prof. Ricciardi and Dr. Batselova
11:20 – 11:30
Experts’ recommendations, call to action and closing remarks
Prof. Walter Ricciardi, MBVE Chair, and MEP Veryga