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Quarterly Newsletter:
October 2024
Issue #13
Editorial
Prioritising prevention-based healthcare in the next EU mandate
Sibilia Quilici, Executive Director Vaccines Europe
From the political guidelines Ursula von der Leyen set out after her re-election as President of the European Commission, followed by the publication of the much-anticipated Mario Draghi report on EU competitiveness, to the Mission Letters of the Commissioner-designates, it is promising to see the new commission determined to boost the competitiveness of Europe and attract more innovation in the region, including the development of a European Life Sciences Strategy.
The direction has been set, but the implementation is yet to be carried out. There is a unique opportunity to prioritise prevention-based healthcare, as a way to make our healthcare systems, society and economy more sustainable and resilient.
Infectious diseases are a key element of many issues Europe is facing, from the ageing of the population to antimicrobial resistance and climate change, but preventing the preventable can play a major role in reaching this objective through investment in immunisation across the life course.
Adult immunisation programmes return up to 19 times their initial investment, and yet, only 0.5% of healthcare budgets are dedicated to immunisation in almost 80% of EU countries. More work needs to be done to ensure comprehensive and sustainably funded immunisation programmes across Europe.
This cannot be achieved in silo. There has never been a more important time to champion collaboration and work together with all stakeholders in a transparent and scientific manner, to foster an environment which attracts innovation and protects people’s health.
In light of the serious healthcare challenges we face today, an EU Immunisation Strategy is crucial to strengthen protection of European citizens against vaccine-preventable diseases and associated cancers across all generations, for a healthy, innovative and prosperous Europe.
Only an urgent shift towards prevention-based healthcare can secure economic stability for EU health systems
In light of the medium-term fiscal structural plans for the next 4-7 years that EU Member States recently presented to the European Commission, experts are calling for an urgent change of direction. There is a unique opportunity to consider healthcare, and in particular prevention, as an investment for social security according to the requirements of the New Economic Governance Framework (NEGF), a move echoing what has been done for defence and the green and digital transitions.
Embedding preventative healthcare such as immunisation – into EU Member States’ fiscal policies is paramount to ensure the economic sustainability of healthcare, social care, and welfare systems, a new report by The European House – Ambrosetti finds, supported by IFPMA and Vaccines Europe.
Preventative healthcare not only translates into increased life expectancy and improved quality of life, but also yields economic advantages, such as savings in healthcare spending and increased worker productivity, thereby supporting the country’s economic and social growth and resilience.
The report is based on input from the initiative's advisors - Prof. Massimo Bordignon (Member of the European Fiscal Board) and Prof. Walter Ricciardi (Chair of the Mission Board on Vaccination in Europe; President of the European Commission's Mission Board on Cancer). It also incorporates views exchanged during a roundtable organised by The European House - Ambrosetti on 10th July, where stakeholders from the European Commission, the European Parliament, OECD and EUPHA contributed to the discussion.
Vaccines Europe External Engagement
Events we participated in
PDA BioManufacturing Conference - event organised by Parenteral Drug Association, 24-25 September, Gothenburg, Sweden
Upcoming events
- Immunisation for Life - joint conference by Vaccines Europe and The Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM)
- EU Flu Day 2024 - 15 Years On: Reimagining the EU’s 75% Flu Vaccination Target in an Age of COVID-19 and RSV
- World Vaccine Congress Europe - 28-31 October, Barcelona
- The value of adult immunisation for the sustainability of healthcare systems and economic growth - World Health Summit side-session hosted by IFPMA, 15 October, Berlin / online
Communications Highlights
What does a resilient vaccine supply chain mean?
A number of factors, such as natural disasters, pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, packaging complexities and complexities related to vaccine development and manufacturing, can cause delays in vaccine supply. A strong and resilient supply chain would be able to maintain the supply of vaccines, whatever is happening in the world. In a new paper, Vaccines Europe has described the vulnerabilities of the supply chain, what measures vaccine manufacturers have implemented to minimise disruptions to vaccine supply and how regulators and policymakers can help improve vaccine supply chain resilience.
New article: Guiding principles for evaluating vaccines in joint health technology assessment in the EU
Vaccines Europe is proud to see the article "Guiding Principles for Evaluating Vaccines in Joint Health Technology Assessment in the European Union: Preparing for the European Union’s Regulation on Health Technology Assessment for Vaccines" published in the journal Value in Health. This is an important step forward to ensure the framework is approapriate for vaccines and the EU HTA Regulation, which comes into force in 2025, can help improve time to population access to new vaccines and streamline the way they’re assessed.
Vaccination against respiratory viruses can reduce the risk of complications associated with CVDs
60 million people in the EU live with a cardiovascular disease (CVD). Respiratory infections, such as flu, COVID-19 and RSV, which circulate in the winter season, can increase the risk of complications for people living CVD. This World Heart Day (29 September), we raised awareness of the benefits of vaccination against respiratory infections for people with CVD, including reducing mortality and the risk of developing complications. Find out more in this infographic.
Vaccines Europe annual report 2023
We recently published our annual report for 2023, highlighting the work we have done across the vaccine ecosystem towards realising the full value of vaccination. The annual report highlights our initiatives from 2023, including the updated pipeline review of our member companies, the report on EU's attractiveness for the vaccine industry, the importance of data for vaccine-preventable cancers, the role of vaccination in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, and our Manifesto for the next mandate, among others. The annual report also outlines key collaborations and partnerships with stakeholders across the vaccine ecosystem, as well as the expansion of the Vaccines Europe team.
We look forward to continuing our work with an evolved mission and strategy for the next EU mandate, for a healthy, innovative and prosperous Europe.
A refreshed Vaccines Europe website
Our refreshed website is now live, with new content and easier navigation. Dedicated pages to key topics Vaccines Europe is working on can be quickly accessed from the main menu, for example, adult immunisation, vaccine-preventable cancers and EU attractiveness for the vaccine industry. All materials we publish, such as position papers, press releases, publications, resources and newsletters, are situated in the new Media Hub.
We hope this new structure will allow our stakeholders to use the website more efficiently and easily access intformation they're interested in.
Member States Best Practices
Italy
The Position Paper 'The Value of Prevention for Economic Growth and the Sustainability of Healthcare, Social, and Welfare Systems', developed by The European House - Ambrosetti (TEHA) in collaboration with Vaccines Europe and IFPMA, has seen widespread engagement in Italy. Uploaded on the TEHA website and shared via their LinkedIn account, it has attracted attention from a broad range of stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, and industry experts. The report's influence extended to major media outlets, with an article published in Sole 24 Ore, Italy's leading economic newspaper, which emphasised the urgent need for increased investments in preventive healthcare. This was also discussed in an interview by CNBC Italy with Elisa Milani from The European House - Ambrosetti, where she elaborated on the report’s key findings and their implications for the future of healthcare sustainability in the country. Importantly, the paper has sparked direct conversations with key governmental bodies, which have shown interest in the strategic recommendations aimed at reinforcing the sustainability of healthcare systems through preventative measures. These discussions are a promising step toward integrating prevention more deeply into Italy's health and economic policies.
The Netherlands
The Ambrosetti report is a very welcome addition to our ongoing policy discussion regarding the value of prevention in the Netherlands. Our Ministry of Health is struggling to advocate for structural budget for prevention with the Ministry of Finance, and this report is a perfect answer to demonstrate its added value. We were also very happy with the recording made during the multistakeholder debate of July 10th on the matter, as this was a great opportunity to reach out to our policy contacts, already priming them for the arrival of the report. Combined with a recent advice by the Dutch Technical Working Group on Costs and Benefits of Prevention, the Ambrosetti-plea might help tip the scales in favor of prevention, allowing for more equality in the assessment of prevention versus curing disease. A prevention-based healthcare model is required for the sustainability of healthcare systems. We look forward to engaging in a continuous dialogue with the new government with the aim to translate this in concrete policies and actions.
Key Figures
Health Policy Highlights
Von der Leyen returns as Head of the European Commission with an ambitious agenda and a proposed roster of Commissioners
Von der Leyen’s Agenda
Earlier this summer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen laid out an ambitious political agenda following her reelection. Health policy remains a priority for von der Leyen’s second term in office. To address severe shortages in the health and pharmaceutical sectors, von der Leyen promises to propose a Critical Medicines Act. This initiative is part of the broader effort to complete the European Health Union, ensuring diversified supply chains, access to advanced treatments, and more resilient health systems. Von der Leyen’s agenda also pledges to work on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and prevention.
The Commission will also put an emphasis on research and innovation, increasing research spending to focus more on strategic priorities, groundbreaking fundamental research, disruptive innovation, and scientific excellence. Further, Von der Leyen is also committed to the Strategy for European Life Sciences. The Strategy is one of Europe’s most important strategic assets, delivering innovative medicines and vaccines that are fundamental to the long-term health and security of EU citizens. As such, EU policymakers must adopt a new approach to its life sciences ecosystem that prioritises connecting the pharmaceutical sector and securing EU competitiveness. Competitiveness is another key area of Von der Leyen’s agenda with the Commission proposing a new European Competitiveness Fund as part of the proposal for a new and reinforced budget in the following multiannual financial framework. This investment capacity will support the development and manufacturing of strategic technologies in Europe.
Vaccines Europe welcomes the ambitions set out in the guidelines to position Europe at the forefront of AMR research. We also recognise the support for European life sciences as a vital part of strengthening Europe’s competitiveness over the next five years. To achieve these objectives, we call for the development of coherent and supportive policies and legislation, including the revision of the General Pharmaceutical Legislation.
Mission Letters
How these files will pan out is still to be seen as we await the European Parliament hearings for new European Commissioners however, some hints can be found in von der Leyen’s mission letters to Commissioner-designates. Her letter to Health Commissioner-designate Oliver Varhelyi calls for the implementation of the Beating Cancer Plan (BCP) and to work on preventive health to reduce the burden of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) while von der Leyen’s letter to Stéphane Séjourné, Executive VP designate for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy highlights the importance of an economy that ensures stability and fiscal sustainability.
Proposed structure for the new College of Commissioners
On 17 September, President Ursula von der Leyen presented the proposed structure for the new College of Commissioners for the next five years. The former European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement (2019-2024) and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU, Oliver Varhelyi (Hungary) will take the role of Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. Other proposed Commissioners relevant in the health landscape include Belgium’s Hadja Lahbib as commissioner for preparedness and crisis management, Bulgaria’s Ekaterina Zaharieva as Commissioner for startups, research and innovation, Slovakia’s Maroš Šefčovič as Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, and Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis as Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification. Proposed Executive VPs include Finland’s Henna Virkkunen for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Spain’s Teresa Ribera Rodriguez for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, and France’s Stéphane Séjourné for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
We emphasise that delivering on the agenda laid out in President von der Leyen’s mission letters will require close collaboration between industry partners, relevant stakeholders, Member States and EU policy makers and the swift implementation of the recommendations to improve competitiveness outlined in the report by former Italian President Mario Draghi. The announcement of the list of Commissioners-designate along with their CVs, mission letters, and declarations of interest marks the start of the process for appointing a new College of Commissioners, with hearings set to take place no sooner than November.
The Council Conclusions on Cardiovascular Health (CVH)
In the Council, Member States have started discussing the Draft Council Conclusions on Cardiovascular Health (CVH) set forth by the Hungarian Presidency. Evidence shows that respiratory virus infections can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among all populations. Vaccination against respiratory viruses has been shown to reduce the risk of complications associated with CVDs including a reduced risk of major cardiovascular events. As such, mention of the value of vaccination in reducing CVD complications should be included in the Hungarian Council Conclusions on CVH.
During the first rounds of negotiations, the importance of flu vaccination as a prevention method was highlighted. Further negotiations among EU Member States are scheduled throughout September and October. The final adoption of the Council Conclusions is expected on December 3 during the EPSCO (Health) Council.
What We Are Reading & Watching
No health, no wealth: the cost-effectiveness and socioeconomic value of life course immunisation - report by International Longevity Centre UK
Estimated number of lives directly saved by COVID-19 vaccination programmes in the WHO European Region from December, 2020, to March, 2023: a retrospective surveillance study - a research paper in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
