Health Literacy - creating Trust

in Vaccination

Hildrun Sundseth

Board Member

European Institute of Women’s Health

About the EIWH

• The European Institute of Women’s Health (EIWH) is a health NGO launched in 1996.

• The EIWH aims to ensure a gender-sensitive approach to health policy, prevention, treatment, care and research in order to reduce health inequalities and improve quality.

• Organisation:

• Extensive multi-national, multi-disciplinary network of patient groups, health NGOs, researchers, gender experts, politicians, and medical professionals

• Expert Advisory Board

Importance of Vaccination

• Vaccination a key tool to prevent infectious

diseases.

•Despite past success, benefits are currently not

fully recognised or appreciated by society.

•Media stories misrepresenting or exaggerating

the dangers of vaccines.

•Result in loss of public trust in vaccination.

•Current measles upsurge in some EU countries

is a warning to policymakers.

Women & Vaccination

•Women - due to their reproductive and caring

roles in society - have traditionally played a key

part in getting their children vaccinated.

• Through the introduction of the HPV vaccines for

the prevention of most forms of cervical cancer

women’s awareness of vaccination beyond

childhood, travel or flu has increased.

Older Women & Vaccination

• The EU 2020 Strategy calls for an increase in

two healthy life years.

• Yet vaccination for older people is not

consistently promoted.

•Women themselves are on the forefront of ageing,

due to their greater longevity and caring for

ageing family member.

• Need to highlight vaccination in older adults to reduce

infections such as influenza or pneumococcal diseases,

• Prevent costly hospitalisation.

History of Distrust in Vaccination

•Reaction to Smallpox Vaccine already in

19th century.

•UK Compulsory Vaccination Act 1853

•Court case against compulsory vaccination

• “Conscientious objection” was coined.

The Vaccination Monster

Restoring Public Trust

• Leadership in vaccination by public health

community is lacking.

• Address concerns early before there is a threat of

outbreak.

• Accurate scientific evidence on benefit/risk.

• But also underlying issues: mix of psychological,

ethical, religious, sociocultural and political

• Ensure consistency of message.

• Invest in a health literate public.

Health Literacy & Vaccination

•Health literacy is the ability to access,

understand, evaluate and communicate

information as a way to promote, maintain and

improve health in a variety of settings across the

life course

•Health literacy about vaccination would:

Improve the public’s understanding of vaccination;

Counteract the negative view of vaccination in society.

ECDC Health Literacy Report

• A recent ECDC publication

highlighted the need for a health

literate approach to infectious

disease control for the benefit of

both individuals and for society.

• Yet, little support is giving by

European and national health

authorities to support vaccination

across the lifespan.

Need for EU Action

Infectious diseases easily move across

borders.

• The EU health policy focus is on prevention

•Recently adopted Cross Boarder Healthcare

legislation.

• Europe needs a common strategy for

vaccination across the lifespan and as well as

targeted health literacy programmes aimed at

specific population group.

Need for Advocacy

•Unlike for specific diseases such as HIV, cancer,

diabetes, rare diseases, a strong advocacy voice

for vaccination is missing.

• Anti-vaccine activists are well-organised and

highly vocal.

•HPV Vaccination was led by Cervical Cancer

patient groups, joined by civil society.

EP Event: HPV Vaccination

•During the European Week Against

Cancer, MEPs in conjunction with

the EIWH held a Roundtable on

cervical cancer prevention.

•To highlight to MEPs the need for

the European cervical cancer

prevention strategy to include HPV

vaccination.

6 June 2012

Recommendations

• Address public concerns pro-actively.

• Increase health literacy about the benefit of

vaccination across the life-span.

•Research to understand the psychologicial, social

and political factors that affect public trust.

• EU show leadership in vaccination policy.

Thank you!

For more information, please contact:

European Institute of Women’s Health

33 Pearse Street

Dublin 2

Ireland

http://www.eurohealth.ie

info@eurohealth.ie

+353-1-671-5691