08 July 2014
The HProImmune European Information day –
Immediate need to promote the immunization of health professionals for specific infectious diseases
The European information day for the Promotion of Immunization for Health Professionals, organized by the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Prolepsis, was successfully organised on the 8th of July, 2014. The meeting was attended by more than 90 people. Experts from WHO-Europe, academics, members from medical and nursing organizations and health professionals from 15 countries, as well as the political leadership of the Greek Ministry of Health were present at the conference.
The key conclusions of the meeting that was organized in the framework of the European Project titled “Promotion of Immunization for Health Professionals in Europe-HproImmune” aimed at showing Greece and the other participating European countries the way to improve immunization levels of health professionals.
Even though health professionals recognize the risk that themselves and their patients are exposed to as far as vaccine-preventable diseases are concerned, a significant number of them have not updated their vaccines.
Greece’s Deputy Minister of Health, Leonidas Grigorakos acknowledged the challenges that arise due to the economic crisis and existing prejudice towards vaccines. However, he highlighted their crucial role during infectious disease outbreaks, as they are summoned to prevent panic and pose as an example by their own vaccination.
Professor George N. Pavlakis, Research Scientist at the Center for Cancer Research (US) stated that the battle to convince HCW and public to get vaccinated is continuous and underlined the fact that threats emerge all the time. Constant vigilance, continuing work and better application of currently available vaccines are key factors for winning this battle.
Patricia Blank, Senior Research Scientist at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (University of Zurich) focused on the importance of HCW immunization for public health. Dominic McVey, Director of the Word of Mouth Research Ltd, presented the ECOM project and the role of effective communication in outbreak management.
Pernille Jorgensen represented the Regional Office of WHO Europe and displayed the Montenegro case study as an influenza immunization programme to HCW. Professor Manfred Green from Haifa University School of Public Health
presented the “Tell Me” project that focuses on transparent communication in epidemics.
According to Athena Linos, Professor at the University of Athens Medical School and President of PROLEPSIS Institute, “The immunization of health professionals prior to their involvement in clinical work is also, on some level, a political call. It is essential to initiate a direct channel of communication between all stakeholders in order to prevent the hazards that both healthcare providers and patients are exposed to on a daily basis. It is crucial that vaccinations are free-of-charge and that every possible assistance is provided to health professionals throughout the process”.
Presented within the informative event was the educational and informational toolkit for the promotion of recommended vaccinations for healthcare professionals. The educational toolkit can be found on HproImmune’s website and will very soon be available in all consortium languages. The toolkit includes a data base with the recommended vaccinations in European countries, newsletters about vaccines and presentations and communication tools, such as posters.
Photo Gallery
08 July 2014
HProImmune European Information day - Presentations
• Welcome and scope of meeting
Prof. Athena Linos, President of Prolepsis Institute, Greece
View presentation
• Immunization and Prophylaxis of Healthcare Professionals in the Era of New Epidemics
George N. Pavlakis, MD, PhD, Research Scientist, USA
View presentation
• HCW immunization: The importance for public health (PH)
Patricia Blank, Senior Research Scientist, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine,
Medical Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
View presentation
• ECOM project: Effective communication in outbreak management:
development of an evidence-based tool for Europe
Dominic McVey, Director, Word of Mouth Research Ltd, UK
View presentation
• Tailoring Influenza Immunization Programmes to Healthcare Workers (HCW)
Pernille Jorgensen, Influenza & other Respiratory Pathogens, WHO Regional Office for Europe
View presentation
• Overview of initial vaccine selection, barrier research and best practices
Agoritsa Baka, KEELPNO - Prolepsis Institute, Greece
View presentation
• The HProImmune Survey results
Athanassios Petralias, Prolepsis Institute, Greece
View presentation
• Presentation of the Website Version of the Toolkit
Dina Zota, Prolepsis Institute, Greece
View presentation
• Presentation of the piloting experience in Italy
Cristina Rota & Valeria Alfonsi, ISS, Italy
View presentation
• The UK HCW influenza vaccination campaign: impact and learning
Robyn Palmer and Ruth Warden, NHS Employers, UK
View presentation
• Vaccination of health care workers in Greece
Helena Maltezou, Head, Department for Interventions in Health-Care Facilities, KEELPNO, Greece
View presentation
• Tell Me Project: Transparent communication in Epidemics:
Learning Lessons from experience, delivering effective Messages, providing Evidence
Prof. Manfred Green, Haifa University School of Public Health, Israel
View presentation
• Promoting influenza vaccination behavior in health care workers:
An Intervention Mapping approach
Birthe Lehmann, Work & Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience,
Maastricht University, Netherlands
View presentation
• The World Medical Association (WMA) Campaign for Physician Immunization
to Prevent Influenza Outbreaks
Tea Collins, Medical Advisor, WMA
View presentation
• An actor-network approach to the HCW influenza immunisation programme
in Wales 2009-2011
Rachel Hale, University of Nottingham, Health Protection Research Group, UK
View presentation
• The new EU Health Programme 2014-2020
Link:
http://ec.europa.eu/chafea/health/index.html
and if you are interested in applying you may wish to participate in an upcoming WEBINAR: EU Health Programme – priorities for 2014 and how to apply on July 30. 2014.
Link:
http://ec.europa.eu/chafea/news/news335.html
08 July 2014
HProImmune European Information day
The HProImmune European Information day will be held in Athens on the 8th of July 2014.
The "Promotion of Immunization for Health Professionals in Europe" project consortium will present the HproImmune toolkit. A number of other European projects, national and international public health stakeholders will also present relevant experience and best practices on the immunization of health professinals in Europe.
Download the EU Info Day Agenda here
Download the press release here
Η ευρωπαϊκή ενημερωτική ημερίδα στο πλαίσιο του ευρωπαϊκού προγράμματος HproImmune για την Προώθηση των Εμβολιασμών στους Επαγγελματίες Υγείας θα πραγματοποιηθεί την Τρίτη, 8 Ιουλίου 2014 στην Αθήνα.
Στην ημερίδα θα παρουσιαστούν τα αποτελέσματα του Ευρωπαϊκού Προγράμματος «Προώθηση Εμβολιασμών στους Επαγγελματίες Υγείας της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης – HproImmune» και η εμπειρία κρατών και διεθνών οργανισμών στην προώθηση του εμβολιασμού του ιατρονοσηλευτικού προσωπικού στην Ευρώπη.
Δείτε το πρόγραμμα της ημερίδας εδώ
Δείτε το δελτίο τύπου εδώ
19 & 20 September 2013
4th partners meeting
The 4th HproImmune partners meeting was held in Athens on the 19th and 20th of September 2013. All partners attended the meeting as well as many members of the Advisory Board. The main objective of the meeting was to finalize and decide on the contents and layout of the HproImmune toolkits. Over the following months the consortium will develop the toolkit and pilot it in all consortium countries. The Toolkit and the piloting results will be presented at a European Information day in Athens on the 8th of July followed by the last partners meeting on the 9th.
25 & 26 April 2013
EU Workshop and 3rd Partners meeting
The HProImmune EU workshop was organized in Athens, Greece on the 25th and 26th of April 2013. The goal of the European Workshop on Best Practices for the Immunization of Health Professionals was to discuss and exchange expertise, information and best practices, as well as recommendations for the promotion of immunizations among health professionals by bringing together experts from various sectors: infectious diseases, vaccinology, health communication, infection control and health policy making. The workshop invited experts from WHO-Europe, the ECDC, the European Commission, the Hellenic CDC as well as representatives from the National Health System in the UK, and Romania, the Ministry of Health in Israel and the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden and the University of Stirling. Together with the HProImmune partner’s consortium and the Advisory Board lively discussions took place concerning the barriers and enables towards the vaccination of HCWs. Participants exchanged valuable experience from similar activities. The conclusions of the workshop will greatly contribute to the development of the project toolkits.
Following the workshop, the HProImmune partners had their 3rd meeting. The main aim of the meeting was to discuss the workshop outcomes and the implications for the development of the toolkit.
7th of May 2012
2nd partners meeting
The 2nd partners meeting was held in Larnaka, Cyprus on the 7th of May 2012. During the meeting very important decisions were made concerning some of the main project deliverables. Partners agreed on the database contents as well as the on line survey and the organization of the focus groups. Both the focus groups and the survey are important tools for exploring barriers and enablers among Health Care Professionals. Findings will guide the development of the HProImmune tools for the promotion of immunizations among Health Care Professionals.
HProImmune kick off Meeting
The HProImmune kick off Meeting was held on the 3rd and 4th of Οctober 2011 in the offices of the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers in Luxembourg.
Researchers from the partner organizations as well as officers from the European Commission, Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) participated in the Meeting.
The scientific coordinator of the project, Dr Agoritsa Baka, opened the meeting by introducing the HProImmune consortium and Ms. Jurgita Kaminskaite, project officer from EAHC. Dr Baka gave a brief overview of the agenda for both days and stated the objectives of the kick off meeting. Each participant gave a short description of their organisation.
Ms. Jurgita Kaminskaite gave a short presentation of the EACH's mission and role and an overview of the current and future Community Programmes in Health.
Dr. Agoritsa Baka, then, proceeded in giving a detailed presentation of the scientific background of HproImmune introducing the rationale on which the project was based and providing an overview of expectations and outcomes.
Ms. Afroditi Veloudaki, the project manager, then, followed with an overview of the HProImmune project, its main objectives and expected outcomes. The project work packages and main deliverables were described in detail and reference was made to what each partner has to contribute towards the completion of the deliverables. A preliminary timeline was presented to partners with the main outcomes to be achieved in the next months.
The meeting continued with the detailed review of WorK Package 4 (WP4) which includes a review of the EU HCW Immunization Status. The ISS team, as leaders of this work package, presented the long list of vaccine preventable infectious diseases (ID) of possible interest for the protection of Health Care Workers (HCWs). The list was discussed among partners and 3 more IDs were added.
Next, the consortium discussed the format of the project database, so as to include the most pertinent information for the project target audience. ISS presented a detailed set of criteria for shortening the list of IDs. An in depth discussion followed among partners and the criteria were shortened to include basic indicators only.
During the second day of the Meeting, administrative and financial requirements for the project were presented by the project officer. The project financial officer, Ms. Glenys Aston, also joined the discussion and answered key questions regarding the budget.
The proposed dissemination plan was, also, presented. Partners exchanged opinions about the project logo and the website layout.
Finally, the evaluation plan was discussed by Dr. Theodor Haratau, from Fundatia Romtens, who presented a plan for assuring quality of the HproImmune project, its results and deliverables. More specifically, an evaluation matrix was presented including ways for monitoring, effectiveness and impact evaluation.
The Meeting was concluded with the presentation of the timeline until the next partner meeting that will take place in Lemesos Cyprus on the 7th of May 2012.
