On 23-24 March 2026, partners of the EUVABECO project gathered in Lisbon, Portugal, for a two-day face-to-face meeting hosted at Instituto Superior Técnico and Direção-Geral da Saúde. The meeting brought together consortium members from across Europe to review progress, share results, and align on the next steps.

The agenda focused on key work packages, including the presentation of outcomes from pilot studies conducted in several countries. These sessions highlighted early insights into behavioural, social, and structural factors influencing vaccination, as well as their implications for implementation plans across diverse settings.

A keynote lecture by Miguel Prudêncio (GiMM) explored the role of vaccination in saving lives, drawing lessons from COVID-19 and malaria. This provided valuable scientific context to the project’s ongoing work.

Discussions also addressed evaluation activities, survey deployment across countries, and the development of final implementation plans.

The meeting marked an important milestone as the consortium prepares key deliverables, including implementation reports due at the end of March 2026 and final implementation plans expected by June 2026. Looking ahead, partners will continue their collaboration at the next face-to-face meeting in Riga in September 2026, maintaining momentum toward strengthening vaccination strategies across Europe.

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The EUVABECO consortium gathered for a face-to-face meeting in Krakow, Poland, on 22–23 September 2025. Hosted by the Jagiellonian University Medical College’s Institute of Public Health, the meeting brought together project partners to review progress, share experiences, and plan the next stages of the initiative.

The first day opened with updates on pilot activities, followed by a keynote lecture from Professor Paradowska, National Consultant in Epidemiology and Deputy Chief of the Department of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Surveillance at the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene in Warsaw. Professor Paradowska presented an overview of vaccination status and progress in Poland.

The afternoon focused on refining the communication strategy to ensure that EUVABECO’s tool implementation packages are well accessed, received, and understood by Member States. Discussions continued informally over dinner in Krakow’s historic Kazimierz district, fostering stronger collaboration among partners.

The second day centred on evaluation, with partners discussing data analysis, lessons learned, and next steps in implementation.

The Krakow meeting reinforced EUVABECO’s shared commitment to strengthening vaccination systems across Europe, setting a clear direction for the next phase of the project.

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The presentation, delivered by Sally Jackson on behalf of EUVABECO, introduced the project to AIRA’s international audience with a focus on the five tools it is currently piloting across Europe: the European Vaccination Card, a Clinical Decision Support (CDS) system, an electronic Patient Information Leaflet (ePIL), as well as Forecasting and Data Linkage tools. Together, these innovations are designed to address key challenges facing vaccination systems.

The European Vaccination Card strengthens continuity of care by giving people a secure, lifelong digital record of their vaccinations – readily available for routine visits or in emergencies. The CDS system provides clinicians with real-time, evidence-based vaccination recommendations, helping to standardize practice and reduce missed opportunities. The ePIL supports supply-chain resilience by replacing paper inserts in multiple languages with digital access, enabling vaccines to be distributed more flexibly across borders and during crises. Meanwhile, Forecasting and Data Linkage enhance pandemic preparedness, equipping planners with tools to anticipate demand, target outreach, and allocate resources where they are most needed.

One U.S. participant noted after the presentation that it was inspiring to hear about Europe’s progress, particularly given the challenges facing immunization projects in the United States. Several AIRA staff echoed this sentiment after the meeting, saying the exchange left them more energized about their own work and highlighted the importance of ongoing conversations between Europe and the U.S. on similar initiatives.

Reflecting on the event, Sally Jackson said: “It was encouraging to see the interest in EUVABECO’s work from an international audience. Engaging in these discussions helps us identify common challenges and consider solutions that can make vaccination systems more resilient.”

Through its participation in the AIRA meeting, EUVABECO contributed European perspectives to a wider international dialogue on immunization system interoperability. Exchanges of this kind ensure that lessons from different regions can inform approaches to strengthening vaccination systems.

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The EUVABECO Evaluation Working Group met at the University of Crete, in Rethymnon, Greece, on 17-18 July 2025, within the framework of Work Package 7 (Evaluation and Sustainability of Pilot implementation), to prepare for the upcoming evaluation of the implementation plans for five tools being tested in pilot projects across Europe: the European Vaccination Card, Clinical Decision Support system, electronic Patient Information Leaflet, Data Linkage, and Forecasting.

Evaluation is essential to determine whether new approaches work in practice, how they are received by users, and what impact they have. EUVABECO’s pilot evaluation will be conducted in 2026.

During the Crete workshop, the group identified the key areas that will guide the evaluation: how acceptable the tools are to users, how well they fit different contexts, whether they are adopted in practice, how effective they are in achieving their aims, and how successfully they become embedded in real-world settings.

The group also designed the data collection process. Pilot participants will first complete open-ended questionnaires to share their experiences. Where further exploration is needed, focus groups will be held to dive deeper into emerging themes. Experts stressed the importance of tailoring questions to different stakeholders and ensuring consistent definitions to avoid confusion.

The Crete workshop marked a vital step in preparing for the evaluation phase. By agreeing on shared indicators and methods, the group laid the foundation for a rigorous and meaningful assessment of the pilot projects – helping to ensure that lessons learned from EUVABECO’s pilots inform future efforts to strengthen vaccination services across Europe.

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Hosted by the Saar Health Region, Gesundheitsregion Saar, the event began with opening remarks from their chairman Dr Thomas Vaterrodt. Gudrun Widders of Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) outlined lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and featured strategies to re-boost public confidence – for example, by using the JITSUVAX Empathetic Refutational Interview (ERI).    

The spotlight then shifted to EUVABECO when consortium member François Kaag (Syadem, France) unveiled a roadmap for the European Vaccination Card (EVC). “A trusted, interoperable record is the cornerstone of equitable, life-course immunisation,” Kaag told delegates, as he detailed EUVABECO’s pilot rollouts conducted across four EU countries.

Building on that vision, EUVABECO’s supporting Prof Dr Jürgen Rissland (Federal Association of Physicians of German Public Health Departments) set out design principles for modern digital vaccination management, emphasising privacy-preserving data exchange, vaccine reminder/recall-based interventions and real-time analytics to guide policy and research.

In the final discussion moderated by the co-chairmen of the Saar Health Region Axel Mittelbach, three priorities for closing Europe’s immunisation gaps were underscored: rebuilding public trust, streamlining regulation and ensuring interoperable digital solutions across borders. Attendees continued exchanging ideas over a networking reception.

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Programme highlights:

• Åshild Olsen Faresjö (Linköping University, Sweden) outlined Sweden’s participation in EUVABECO.
• Alain Cimino (Cimbiose, France) explained the project’s core objectives.
• Ingrid Weindorfer (Vaccines Europe, Brussels) presented the ePIL pilot.
• François Kaag (Syadem, France) provided details about the EVC pilot.

A Q&A session closed the meeting.

Participants came from nearly twenty organisations shaping the national pharmaceutical strategy, including the Swedish eHealth Agency, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Swedish Society of Medicine and patient-advocacy groups*.

The briefing ensured that Swedish regulators, clinicians and industry remain aligned as EUVABECO’s pilots progress toward evaluation in 2025.

*Swedish Pharmaceutical Society; Swedish eHealth Agency; Public Health Agency of Sweden; Health and Social Care Inspectorate; the trade association for the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Sweden; Swedish Medical Products Agency; the Regions; National Board of Health and Welfare; Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Pharmacy Association; Swedish Pharmacists Association; Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions; Swedish Medical Association; Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency; Swedish Association of Health Professionals; and patient and informal caregiver representatives.

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Francois Kaag of Syadem (France) and Nathan Bunker of the American Immunization Registry Association (USA) lead discussions at the International Summit on Vaccine Coding and Standards in Bordeaux.

Bordeaux, France – 9 May 2025 – EUVABECO participated in the inaugural International Summit on Vaccine Coding and Standards, held in Bordeaux. This landmark event brought together professionals who work with vaccine codes—or rely on them to support immunization efforts – to advance international vaccine interoperability and coding standards through the International Vaccine Codes Initiative (IVCI) and the Unified Nomenclature of Vaccines (NUVA).

On 8 May, participants attended a pre-meeting training session covering SNOMED, NUVA, and other vaccine code systems. The main summit on 9 May emphasized the importance of standardized vaccine coding, including detailed discussions on NUVA’s role as a SNOMED CT extension and how NUVA utilizes valences to standardize vaccine codes. International perspectives on vaccine coding and interoperability were also explored.

EUVABECO contributed valuable insights by sharing experiences from its European Vaccination Card (EVC) project, highlighting lessons learned from pilot implementations in Latvia, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, and Germany. The consortium’s active participation underscored its commitment to enhancing vaccine-related data interoperability and promoting best practices across Europe.

The summit concluded with strategic discussions on the future direction of the IVC and NUVA, outlining actionable next steps aimed at strengthening international collaboration on vaccine coding standards.

EUVABECO’s involvement fostered new partnerships and reinforced its key role in advancing global vaccine interoperability.

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Bordeaux, France – 7-8 May 2024 – Partners from across Europe gathered in Bordeaux for a two-day workshop dedicated to advancing the EUVABECO project. The meeting provided an important opportunity for partner organizations to discuss recent progress and plan the next stages of implementing digital vaccination tools.

The workshop began with a warm welcome from local organizers and opening remarks by the EUVABECO project coordinator. A notable highlight was the introduction of a new consortium partner, the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), the school of engineering and technology of the University of Lisbon. IST joins EUVABECO to strengthen the project’s forecasting research through advanced machine learning methodologies. Afternoon sessions continued with discussions on project milestones, recent achievements, and targets for upcoming activities.

Day one concluded with an engaging keynote lecture by Sylvie Quelet, who shared valuable insights from France’s successful HPV vaccination campaign in middle schools. Her presentation prompted enthusiastic discussions on how EUVABECO’s innovative digital tools could support and enhance similar public health initiatives across Europe.

On the second day, partners explored practical strategies for the implementation and evaluation of EUVABECO’s tools, covering metrics for both short-term outcomes and long-term sustainability. The afternoon was dedicated to coordinating efforts and identifying essential resources to develop communication materials. These materials aim to help European Member States adopt and integrate EUVABECO’s tools into their health systems.

The workshop concluded with clear next steps and plans for future meetings. Participants left Bordeaux united by a shared vision to guide EUVABECO successfully through its final phases – completing implementation, conducting thorough evaluations, and widely disseminating project outcomes.

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Lisbon, November 13 – EUVABECO held a scientific session at the European Public Health Conference, organised by the European Public Health Association (EUPHA). The session was co-organized by the University of Crete, Riga Stradins University, Sciensano, the European Public Health Association’s Infectious Disease Control (EUPHA-IDC) and Global Health (EUPHA-GH) Sections, and the European Commission’s Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).

Chaired by Georgios Margetidis, of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and Elena Petelos, of the University of Crete, and President of EUPHA’s Global Health Section, the event highlighted key developments in the project and set a clear vision for enhancing vaccination practices across the European Union.

The session kicked off with Christos Lionis, of the University of Crete, Coordinator of EUVABECO, who emphasized the need for ongoing innovation in vaccination strategies. Reflecting on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Lionis stressed the importance of creating a supportive environment that enables effective vaccine deployment, a crucial factor in preparing for future health crises.

Next, François Kaag from Syadem, France, provided an in-depth look at EUVABECO’s implementation framework. He explained how the project was structured to deliver implementation plans for versatile tools that can support a wide variety of vaccination practices.

Following this, Matthieu Billuart of Sciensano, Belgium, introduced EUVABECO’s suite of innovative tools, designed to support vaccination practice across five key domains: medical, social, industrial, modelling, and digital. He described ongoing pilot projects in several EU countries testing the plans for the five solutions: a clinical decision support (CDS) system for healthcare providers, enhanced data linkage for targeted vaccination, a digital European vaccination card, an electronic patient information leaflet, and a disease forecasting tool.

Dace Zavadska, of Riga Stradins University, Latvia, emphasized the importance of engaging diverse stakeholders, including National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs). Given the varied vaccination policies and healthcare systems across EU Member States, Professor Zavadska highlighted the need for adaptable trusted strategies tailored to local contexts.

The session concluded with Sibilia Quilici of Vaccines Europe, who urged stakeholders to maintain active engagement as EUVABECO moves into the pilot implementation phase, stressing that ongoing collaboration is critical to adapting the project’s tools to diverse healthcare settings.

The meeting also allowed EUVABECO to connect with European Commission (EC) representatives to discuss progress and explore synergies with other EC health initiatives, setting the stage for coordinated efforts to enhance public health resilience across the European Union.

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Lisbon, 12 November – EUVABECO actively participated in the pre-conference workshop “Best practices in EU-wide projects contributing to achieving the objectives of EU Health policies,” organized by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and the Joint Action on increasing the capacity of National Focal Points (NFP4Health). The pre-conference focused on preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, and improving vaccination strategies across Europe.

The event brought together policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to exchange insights on the uptake, transferability, scalability, impact, and sustainability of best practices. EUVABECO presented alongside other projects and associations (Vax-Action, Overcoming obstacles to vaccination, Perch JA, ECL, and PreventNCD, EAAD best, JA Implemental, JACARDI, Care4Diabetes).

Professor Christos Lionis, EUVABECO’s Coordinator from the University of Crete (Greece), represented EUVABECO on the panel addressing vaccination reference practices. He detailed how EUVABECO is developing implementation plans for five innovative tools to strengthen vaccination programs and underscored their potential to enhance public health across the region.

EUVABECO is dedicated to advancing evidence-based interventions and fostering collaborations to improve health in the EU. The following day EUVABECO also hosted a scientific session at the European Public Health Conference.

The session was opened by [right to left] Marina Zanchi, Director of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA); Ana Pedroso, Secretary-General of the Portuguese Ministry of Health; Miguel costa Castano, the EU4Health National Focal Point (NFP) for Portugal; and Michele Cecchini, Head of Public Health at the OECD.

The pre-conference workshop, “Best Practices in EU-Wide Projects Contributing to Achieving the Objectives of EU Health Policies”, with Marina Zanchi, Director of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) stressing the support of HaDEA to disease control.

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