Vaccination: Global Summit to promote the benefits of vaccines

On 12 September, the European Commission and the World Health Organisation (WHO) host a Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels to demonstrate EU leadership in the global support for vaccination, boost political commitment towards eliminating vaccine preventable diseases and engage political leaders, scientists, medics, industry and civil society in global action against the spread of vaccine disinformation. The Summit will promote the benefits of vaccination and send a clear message that, as one of the most successful public health measures, vaccines save millions of lives every year. The event brings together around 400 political leaders, high-level representatives from international organisations, health ministries, leading academics, scientists and health professionals, the private sector and non-governmental organisations. Keynote speakers and participants include Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO and Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians. Health and Food Safety Commissioner, VytenisAndriukaitis said: “Vaccination saves millions of lives every year. Yet, misinformation and vaccine hesitancy have had an extremely negative influence on the decrease of vaccination rates, which lead to almost eradicated diseases causing dozens of casualties in Europe. This is simply not acceptable. The Vaccination Summit is a call, in Europe and at global level, for safety and accessible vaccines and a commitment, from international organisations to health professionals, in ensuring that citizens are confident and safe”.