Health Care Professionals’ Perspectives on Life-Course Immunization: A Qualitative Survey from a European Conference

Abstract

Today, fewer children die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases than older adults. Health systems need new immunization strategies to tackle the burden of vaccine-preventable disease in an aging society. A life-course immunization (LCI) approach—which entails vaccination throughout an individual’s lifespan—enables adults to age with reduced risk to disease, thereby enabling healthy, active and productive aging. We conducted an audience response system (ARS)-based survey to investigate HCP perspectives on LCI in an opportunistic sample of 222 health care professionals (HCPs) from around the world who attended a European infectious diseases conference. Survey results show that LCI is a priority for HCPs (77.4%–88.6%), with most of them stating the need to frame it as a part of a healthy lifestyle (91.0%–100.0%). Insufficient LCI recommendations by vaccine providers (12.9%–33.3%) and governments (15.2%–41.9%) and insufficient targeted budget allocation (6.1%–21.7%) were indicated as the main barriers to implement LCI, ahead of vaccine hesitancy (9.7%–15.2%). HCPs were willing to make LCI a gateway to healthy aging but need support to work together with other stakeholders involved in the vaccination journey. This could be a step towards equitable health care for all of society.

Maternal awareness, acceptability and willingness towards respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination during pregnancy in Ireland

“…Maternal immunization strategies are being increasingly acknowledged and explored for their potential to influence the health of both women and their infants, as part of a life‐course immunization (LCI) approach 3 . Maternal immunization is recognized as a key primary preventative approach that could directly benefit two generations of the population through a single intervention 4 . Maternal immunization, resulting in passive immunity through transfer of IgG antibodies has been shown to be effective for the prevention of pertussis, 5 influenza 6 tetanus, 7 and more lately SARS Cov‐2 8 in infants and data supports that similar strategies could be effective for the prevention of other infections, including Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) 9 .…”

“… 3 Maternal immunization is recognized as a key primary preventative approach that could directly benefit two generations of the population through a single intervention. 4 Maternal immunization, resulting in passive immunity through transfer of IgG antibodies has been shown to be effective for the prevention of pertussis, 5 influenza 6 tetanus, 7 and more lately SARS Cov‐2 8 in infants and data supports that similar strategies could be effective for the prevention of other infections, including Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). 9 Programs for the prevention of pertussis and influenza through maternal immunization are in place in many countries, however, they are associated with varying, often suboptimal, acceptance rates.…”

Dutch Healthcare Professionals’ Opinion on the Allocation of Responsibilities concerning Prescribing and Administering Medically Indicated Vaccines to Immunocompromised Patients

“…These barriers lead to reduced vaccine recommendations by physicians, which is a missed opportunity, since information and recommendation given by HCPs are known as important measures to improve vaccine uptake in ICPs [ 10 , 18 ]. In addition, the clear allocation of responsibilities among HCPs concerning prescribing and administering is often impaired [ 19 ]. Consequently, an established vaccination delivery strategy is missing, and ICPs usually miss recommended vaccines [ 8 , 9 , 20 ].…”