Ministerial meeting on COVID-19 vaccine deployment and vaccination in the WHO European Region – review of vaccine uptake and reflections on the issues limiting uptake

12 May 2021, 11:30–13:00 CET (virtual)

The development and rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines against the SARS-Cov2 virus is one of the tools available for containing the ongoing pandemic. Between December 2020 and March 2021, all 53 countries and territories in the WHO European Region deployed the COVID-19 vaccine to their populations. While a total of 241 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines has been administered in the Region, the vaccination uptake of one dose of COVID-19 vaccine among the national population varies widely from less than 1% to over 60%. Building on the lessons learned from the introduction of new vaccines in the Region, it is widely recognized that a comprehensive understanding of both systemic (provision of services convenient to the population) and community factors (linked to demand and acceptance) is critical to ensure a high uptake of vaccines.

Regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine, the reporting of a very rare new type of adverse event after vaccination called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, involving unusual and severe blood clotting events associated with low platelet counts, has resulted in concerns among policy planners and vaccine recipients. In line with the conclusion of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization that the benefit of vaccination in protecting against COVID-19 far outweighs the risks associated with the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (ETAGE) met in late April 2021 to outline the programmatic considerations for Member States on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Inequitable COVID-19 vaccine access and utilization by the population will provide fertile ground to prolong the pandemic and contribute to the evolution of variants. ETAGE discussed that any restrictions, especially in countries with limited COVID-19 vaccine supply, may cause delays or interrupt vaccination campaigns, resulting in severe disease and deaths, which could be prevented with vaccination. A better understanding of the drivers of and barriers to vaccination should lead to evidence-based communication strategies tailored to respond to any concerns and barriers, either related to AstraZeneca in particular or COVID-19 vaccines in general.

This meeting aims to take stock of the progress of COVID-19 vaccine deployment and vaccination in the Region and to discuss ways to address the current issues influencing vaccine uptake in the priority population groups in the countries.

Outcomes:

Following deliberations, it is expected that countries will have a better understanding of:

• the current situation of COVID-19 vaccination uptake, which will help them commit to increasing vaccination uptake in the Region;
• current issues limiting high uptake; and
• ways to increase the uptake in priority population groups and a plan for achieving a programmatic target by identifying drivers of and barriers to vaccination.