The IMMUNION project has been conceived and designed to strengthen the existing Coalition for Vaccination and improve stakeholder collaboration to increase vaccine uptake across Europe. IMMUNION will specifically increase the visibility and reach of the Coalition for Vaccination through a number of approaches and activities, focused on vaccine communication and education and training of healthcare professionals.
For instance, the IMMUNION project website and social media platforms also serve as the official Coalition for Vaccination pages, designed and planned to be sustainable long after the project’s end. The website is the central public-facing reference point to find information and resources from the Coalition, such as joint statements and declarations, the Coalition’s online campaigns and specific activities developed through this project. The Coalition’s accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will be used, along with the website, to promote project and Coalition content and to participate in broader online discussions around current vaccination topics in Europe. Additional communication resources, such as a Coalition video, will be developed in close collaboration between the Coalition and IMMUNION’s communication experts. Feel free to join the conversation!
The education of public health and health professionals is critical for achieving the Coalition’s aims. Through a Training of Trainers developed by the University of Antwerp – as well as links with the SEKI (Strengthening Education and Knowledge in Immunization) Platform, managed by Coalition members Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative and the European Academy of Paediatrics – the IMMUNION project directly provides the healthcare professionals represented by the Coalition with access to validated training on vaccine communication, vaccine safety, fighting misinformation, and other critical topics which will increase confidence to talk about vaccines with patients, parents and the general public.
Last but not least, the IMMUNION consortium fosters links between the Coalition and other key stakeholders, including national public health institutions, academia and news media and communication experts.
Working together, we will support collaboration to address access to accurate information about vaccination to increase confidence in and uptake of vaccines.