The European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) are co-hosting the world’s first Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels. The aim is to accelerate global action to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and advocate against the spread of vaccine misinformation worldwide.

According to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, “It is inexcusable that in a world as developed as ours, there are still children dying of diseases that should have been eradicated long ago.’’

“Vaccination already prevents 2-3 million deaths a year and could prevent a further 1.5 million if global vaccination coverage improved. Today’s summit is an opportunity to address this gap.” Juncker says.

WHO also raises concerns of measles resurging. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, says  “We can and must get back on track. We will only do this by ensuring everyone can benefit from the power of vaccines – and if governments and partners invest in immunization as a right for all, and social good. Now is the time to step up efforts to support vaccination as a core part of health for all.”

Opening the summit, President Juncker and Dr. Tedros called for an urgent intensification of efforts to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles. In the past 3 years, 7 countries, including 4 in the European region, have lost their measles elimination status. New outbreaks are the direct result of gaps in vaccination coverage, including amongst teenagers and adults who were never fully vaccinated.

To tackle vaccination gaps effectively, the summit addressed the multiple barriers to vaccination, including rights, regulations and accessibility.

The European Commission and the World Health Organization also urged for strong support of GAVI, the Global Vaccine Alliance. GAVI plays a critical role in achieving global vaccine goals in the world’s least-resourced countries.

Source: World Health Organization