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Quarterly Newsletter:
March 2026
Issue #19
Editorial
Immunisation: Europe’s overlooked strategic health security infrastructure
Sibilia Quilici, Executive Director Vaccines Europe
When Europe talks about competitiveness, resilience and economic stability, the conversation often turns to energy, technology or defence. Yet one of the most powerful forms of infrastructure remains overlooked: preventive care.
In today’s polycrisis environment marked by geopolitical instability, climate change, demographic pressure and growing health threats, Europe cannot afford to wait for the next emergency to act. Preparedness must be built in advance. As identified by the European Commission, immunisation is a cornerstone of health system preparedness and resilience and a core health security infrastructure, essential to protect societies, sustain economies, and support Europe’s strategic autonomy.
Vaccines prevent illness before it occurs and reduce the pressure on healthcare systems. By doing so, immunisation sustains a healthy workforce, indispensable to maintain essential services, economic activity and resilience, of particular importance in times of crisis. Also, it is no longer confined to childhood. It is a life-course strategy addressing some of Europe’s most pressing health challenges, from antimicrobial resistance to infection-related cancers, and reducing cardiovascular complications linked to respiratory infections.
At the same time, climate change is reshaping the epidemiology of infectious diseases, increasing the spread of vector-borne and climate-sensitive infections across Europe. This further reinforces the need to anticipate and invest in preventive care as a first line of defence.
The economic case is clear. Prevention programmes can generate returns of up to €14 for every €1 invested, while adult immunisation alone can deliver returns as high as 19 times the initial investment. By reducing hospitalisations and long-term complications, immunisation frees up resources that health systems can reinvest in innovation, workforce capacity and improved access to patient care.
Yet, preventive care remains structurally underprioritised. Vaccines alone are not enough. Effective immunisation requires strong, connected systems:
- citizen-centred, interoperable electronic immunisation records, a game changer to improve adherence, enable real-time monitoring, strengthen trust, and support timely and transparent communication with healthcare professionals and citizens;
- timely, harmonised and comparable vaccination coverage data across Europe, for all vaccines in life-course programmes, not only in times of crisis;
- integrated delivery systems and healthcare workforce capacity to ensure equitable access and uptake.
Without these enablers, Europe risks continuing to react to crises rather than preventing them.
If preventive care creates growth, it should be treated as growth-enabling investment.
Strengthening immunisation infrastructure is therefore a strategic imperative. It is how Europe can anticipate risks, protect its citizens, sustain its workforce, and reinforce its resilience, while maintaining its global leadership in immunisation in an increasingly complex world.
The question is no longer whether Europe can afford to invest in immunisation. It is whether Europe can afford not to, at a time when fiscal flexibilities within the EU economic governance framework are available to support strategic investment.
Vaccines Europe External Engagement
IPHA Conference 2026: Steering through disruption
On 4th March, we participated in the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) conference in Dublin, where Sibilia Quilici spoke about the role of prevention in competitiveness for equity.
Prevention is not only a public health priority, it is also an economic strategy, health security and system resilience.
Both primary and secondary prevention, such as immunisation, screening and early detection, can reduce disease burden, protect workforce participation and relieve pressure on healthcare systems. The evidence is compelling:
- Prevention interventions can generate returns as high as 1:14
- Adult immunisation alone can deliver returns of up to 1:19
Yet Europe still underinvests in prevention. Unlocking the full benefits of these interventions requires stronger investment in national infrastructures, including digital health systems, electronic immunisation registries and healthcare workforce capacity.
If prevention generates growth, it should be treated as a growth-enabling investment.
As Ireland prepares for its upcoming EU Presidency, there is an opportunity to ensure that Europe’s prevention agenda remains inclusive and balanced, supporting effective interventions capable of delivering measurable health and economic benefits in the near term, alongside longer-term public health strategies. This should be accompanied by adequate financial support under the next Multiannual Financial Framework to enable implementation across Member States.
Ultimately, a competitive Europe is also a Europe that invests today in preventing avoidable disease and strengthening resilience.
We look forward to continuing our work with all stakeholders towards realising the full value of immunisation for a healthier and more resilient Europe.
Other events we participated in
- DIAMond session “From Prevention to Cure" at DIA Europe 2026 - 24 March, Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
Council recommendation on the value of immunisation against respiratory infections: a step towards an EU Respiratory Health Plan? - 18 March, Brussels (Belgium)
Communications Highlights
Turning the tide on cardiovascular diseases
The recognition of immunisation as a core pillar of prevention in the European Commission’s Safe Hearts Plan is an important step towards improving cardiovascular health in Europe. The call for a Council Recommendation on respiratory infections, including flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumococcal, as well as herpes zoster, represents a unique opportunity to close immunisation gaps, improve people’s health and contribute to Europe’s resilience.
Europe stands at a point where health, economic stability, and long-term resilience are increasingly interconnected. Addressing the combined burden of cardiovascular disease and preventable respiratory infections is an essential step in protecting citizens and supporting the EU’s broader strategic goals.
Learn more in the blog.
PDA Shaping the Future of Vaccines Workshop Summary Report
In September 2025, the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) and Vaccines Europe “Shaping the Future of Vaccines” workshop brought together regulators, industry, academia, and global health organisations to identify strategies to accelerate vaccine R&D, manufacturing, and equitable access.
Participants recommended embedding platform knowledge and model‑informed approaches, expanding artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools, investing in flexible, modular manufacturing alongside harmonised regulatory frameworks to strengthen pandemic preparedness, addressing unmet medical need, sustainability and public trust across the vaccine lifecycle.
World Cancer Day: United by Unique
To mark this World Cancer Day, our colleague Charlotte Vernhes shared her personal cancer story, how it has shaped her journey and why immunisation is crucial for cancer prevention.
VITAL Educational Platform
The VITAL educational platform is a free resource supporting healthcare professionals working with older adults. Developed under the VITAL project and funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), the platform brings together evidence-based materials on vaccination, infectious diseases, and communication strategies for healthy ageing, including:
- Evidence-informed resources
- Practical tools to support vaccine conversations
- Available in 5 European languages
Key Figures
Europe
Measles in Europe: How to get back on track
Vaccines Today interview: as measles takes hold in six more European countries, a WHO/Euro expert calls for action to reverse an alarming trend.
Vaccines Today asked Dr Dragan Jankovic, Team Lead, Disease Control and Elimination, Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Programme, WHO/Europe, what can be done to get the continent back on track.
Read more in this Vaccines Today article.
Health Policy Highlights
Global Health Resilience Initiative
In her 2025 State of the Union speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the Global Health Resilience Initiative (GHRI). The initiative seeks to enhance global preparedness for future health emergencies by reinforcing prevention, detection, and response capacities, drawing on lessons from COVID-19 and the EU’s broader global health strategy. GHRI reflects the EU’s ambition to play a stronger leadership role in global health amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and growing challenges such as misinformation. We believe the GHRI should recognise immunisation as a critical tool for resilience, given its proven effectiveness in preventing disease, protecting vulnerable populations, and supporting robust, sustainable health systems worldwide.
At the core of resilient health systems is a strong, innovative and competitive health industry. Ensuring Europe remains an attractive environment for R&D and advanced manufacturing is therefore fundamental to global health resilience. The GHRI should therefore support an enabling policy environment that fosters innovation, provides legal certainty, and recognises the importance of intellectual property and regulatory excellence.
On 16 March, the European Commission opened a Call for Evidence, seeking feedback about the initiative. Vaccines Europe is currently preparing its response to the Call for Evidence.
EU Biotech Act
In December 2025, the European Commission introduced a draft Biotech Act as part of its EU Health Package, aiming to boost Europe’s biotechnology sector and global competitiveness across the full innovation pipeline, from research to market use.
As noted in our statement, the health package is a positive step toward making Europe a more attractive location for cutting-edge science, clinical research and biotech innovation. While the Act highlights biotechnology’s strategic importance for areas like security and defence, it does not explicitly prioritise immunisation or fully address the broader ecosystem needed for immunisation innovation.
There is an opportunity to recognise vaccines as a strategic biotechnology asset that supports both public health and industrial competitiveness. However, without clear prioritisation in its implementation, the sector risks remaining underrepresented in key funding and policy frameworks.
The proposal is currently under public consultation, with stakeholder input expected to shape upcoming legislative discussions. Vaccines Europe is currently preparing its response to the consultation.
What We Are Reading & Watching
Call for Action: Life Course Immunisation Strategy by The European Scientific Working group on Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses (ESWI) with coalition partners
Strengthening global health security: Perspectives from the innovative pharmaceutical industry - report by IFPMA
Vaccines, Thimerosal and Autism Spectrum Disorder - evidence review by the World Health Organization
Impact of Vaccines Across the Lifespan: A New Perspective in Public Health - Conclusions of an Expert Panel - Part 2 - research article in the journal Vaccines
