ESWI Science Policy Interface Roundtable

ESWI Science Policy Interface Roundtable took place on 15 October 2024 at the Parliament of Czech Republic in Prague, bringing together key stakeholders in the Czech Republic to discuss and address the critical issues surrounding vaccine uptake. 

Hosted by the Parliament of the Czech Republic and ESWI Board Member Roman Prymula, the event included remarkable participants such as Senator Roman Kraus, Chair of the Committee on Health; Czech Deputy Minister of Health Jakub Dvořáček; Michael Stolpe from the Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future”; and ESWI Board Member George Kassianos.

Roman Kraus, Chairman of the Health Committee of the Senate of the Czech Republic. He voiced concern over low vaccination rates, particularly as respiratory infections are on the rise. Dr. Kraus expressed his great pleasure in welcoming such a European panel at the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament. Further to that, he also underlined the importance of collaboration among politicians, policymakers, and scientists to advance vaccination education and dispel common myths.

Jakub Dvořáček, Deputy Minister of Health of the Czech Republic. He expressed gratitude to everyone involved in organising the event and noted that the effort to raise vaccination rates, particularly for influenza and COVID-19, is currently falling short, which has cost-related consequences. High antiviral use serves as a sign of low vaccination rates, with the Czech Republic’s annual average consumption of 30.000 packs per capita, being twice that of comparable EU Member States.  The Deputy Minister of Health underlined that he remains confident in pharmaceutical companies’ ability to maintain adequate supplies, helping to avoid last year’s shortages. He finally thanked Senator Kraus for his long-standing support in this area. Acknowledging that the current situation is far from ideal, he expressed appreciation to the participants—representatives from professional societies and the Chamber of Pharmacists—for taking the time to discuss the issue of vaccination in pharmacies across the Czech Republic.

ESWI Board Member George Kassianos. He highlighted the importance of vaccines against influenza, COVID19 and RSV, underlining that data surveillance and digitalisation are crucial for achieving a 75% vaccination uptake for all three viruses. Furthermore, he noted that Portugal (83.2%) and Denmark (81.3%) are the only countries that have reached this target for influenza vaccination among adults aged 65 and older. Dr. Kassianos remarked that the three foundations for a successful vaccination campaign are government, patients, and primary care—GPs and nurses—while also emphasising the need for pharmacists to be involved in this effort.

When discussing the burden of disease, he noted that countries with adult immunisation programs, such as France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Australia or South Africa, have demonstrated substantial evidence that adult vaccines can return up to 19 times their initial investment to society. Furthermore, he recommended that governments adopt a prevention-first mindset to alleviate the increasing pressures on health systems and society, with adult immunisation playing a crucial role in enabling individuals to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.

Michael Stolpe from the Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future”. As part of better preparedness for future pandemics, he remarked on the importance of inter- and transdisciplinary research. As an attempt to do so, Dr. Stolpe introduced the new Leibniz Lab, "Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future," which gathers 41 Leibniz Institutes. To achieve this, the Leibniz Lab focuses on four key areas: the environmental-animal-human interface and its impact on the emergence and spread of pathogens; reducing the physical and psychological burden of disease; increasing the efficiency of pandemic management; and creating a pandemic-resilient education system. Furthermore, he stressed the need to invest proactively in order to prepare for a resilient healthcare system, equitable and efficient market designs, effective data utilisation, urban spaces that mitigate pandemic risks, and international cooperation and treaties.

ESWI Board Member Roman Prymula. After welcoming all attendees to this important event at the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament in Prague, Prof. Prymula informed participants that current influenza vaccination rates in the Czech Republic are only 8-9% in the general population and 23-26% among at-risk groups. These figures fall significantly short of the target vaccination rates of 30% for the general population and 75% for at-risk groups, with only very moderate increases in recent years.

Regarding vaccination against seasonal influenza for the 2024/2025 season in the Czech Republic, he explained that public health insurance covers it for individuals over 65, those with chronic illnesses, and people with weakened immune systems, emphasising the importance of protecting these vulnerable groups from influenza-related complications. Similarly, targeted strategies are being implemented to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates for the 2024/2025 season, focusing on at-risk populations. These strategies involve collaboration between the Ministry of Health, healthcare providers, health insurance companies, and employers to enhance vaccine availability and improve communication with priority groups.