Over 100 people recently joined the inaugural Europe’s “Tomorrow: Vaccination and Prevention” Summit.
It was organised by ThinkYoung at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels and brought together young people, policymakers, health experts, start-ups, and civil society organisations to discuss vaccination and prevention at both the European and Member State levels.
It is a crucial issue in light of the recent worldwide health pandemic.
More than 40 high-level speakers participated in several panel discussions, covering topics from optimising vaccination programmes to enhancing EU-level prevention measures and addressing vaccine misinformation.
Start-ups, industry, and health-related organisations showcased their work shaping the present and future of vaccination and prevention across Europe.
The summit last week featured key EU policymakers including MEPs Kateřina Konečná, who delivered the event’s closing remarks, as well as Tomislav Sokol and Petar Vitanov, who took part in different thematic sessions.
Other speakers included Katie Owens, Communication Officer at DG SANTE, European Commission, Sibilia Quilici, Executive Director of Vaccines Europe, and Gary Finnegan, Editor of Vaccines Today, who brought invaluable insights to the event.
Andrea Gerosa, Founder of ThinkYoung. “Since the establishment of our ThinkYoung Vaccine Coalition in 2019, we have worked to foster a youth-centered approach in healthcare that harnesses the full potential of innovation, digitalisation, and patient-centered methods to enhance vaccine confidence. With Europe’s Tomorrow: Vaccination & Prevention Summit we are galvanising the transformation of Europe’s healthcare systems.”
After a hiatus of in-person events during the pandemic, the summit built on previous work by ThinkYoung to promote the importance of vaccination among young people.
The coalition was founded in January 2019, bringing together a group of 40 young health professionals representing more than 15 nationalities in 22 countries, who are engaged either in primary healthcare or health policy.
The Coalition is supported by a number of medical organisations and companies, and its main objective is to advocate for the importance of vaccination and prevention across Europe, both at the EU and national levels.
