Test your Policies here

Policy Calculator Icon
Policy Calculator

Policy
Calculator

 

Choose your Policies

Feel free to choose any of the policies you would like to see implemented in the country selected below:

SwedenSweden _Czech RepublicCzechia germanyGermany

Health authority accountability & strengths of influenza programHealth authority accountability & strengths of the program

get more info about this pollicy

In pursuit of specific health objectives, countries, and in some cases, their regions, establish goals to guide their efforts. One commonly set objective is to achieve desired vaccination coverage rates (VCR). This is particularly relevant in the context of vaccines targeting prevalent diseases such as influenza, commonly known as the flu.
For instance, if out of a target population of 100 individuals, 65 have received the influenza vaccine, the vaccination coverage rate stands at 65%. These VCR targets serve as benchmarks to gauge the effectiveness of vaccination programs and to ensure adequate protection against infectious diseases within the population. It is essential that all healthcare professionals involved in vaccination are fully aware of this concept.

Bibliographical references:

  1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Seasonal influenza vaccination and antiviral use in EU/EEA Member States [Internet]. Stockholm; 2018.

  2. Blank PR, van Essen GA, Ortiz de Lejarazu R, Kyncl J, Nitsch-Osuch A, Kuchar EP, et al. Impact of European vaccination policies on seasonal influenza vaccination coverage rates: An update seven years later. Hum Vaccines Immunother. 2018;

  3. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The organization and delivery of vaccination services in the European Unit. 2018.

get more info about this pollicy

For individuals to access influenza vaccinations, there needs to be funding provided by either public or private entities. This policy specifically targets funding for flu vaccinations across various social groups for whom influenza vaccination holds particular significance. The information about this free access to vaccination must be disseminated among vulnerable groups.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Ting EEK, Sander B, Ungar WJ. Systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of influenza immunization programs. Vaccine [Internet]. 2017

  2. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Seasonal influenza vaccination and antiviral use in EU/EEA Member States [Internet]. Stockholm; 2018.

  3. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The organization and delivery of vaccination services in the European Unit. 2018.

  4. WHO. Guidance on the economic evaluation of influenza vaccination. 2016.

get more info about this pollicy

This policy entails the nationwide regular monitoring of patient vaccination coverage rates (VCR) at vaccination sites and healthcare provider (HCP) levels by Health Authorities (HA). In essence, it involves the systematic oversight conducted by health authorities at the national level to track the vaccination coverage rates at individual vaccination sites and among healthcare providers.

Bibliographical references:

  1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Seasonal influenza vaccination and antiviral use in EU/EEA Member States [Internet]. Stockholm; 2018.

  2. Blank PR, van Essen GA, Ortiz de Lejarazu R, Kyncl J, Nitsch-Osuch A, Kuchar EP, et al. Impact of European vaccination policies on seasonal influenza vaccination coverage rates: An update seven years later. Hum Vaccines Immunother. 2018;

  3. Paul KT, Loer K. Contemporary vaccination policy in the European Union: tensions and dilemmas. J Public Health Policy [Internet]. 2019;40:166–79.

get more info about this pollicy

This policy involves incorporating healthcare provider (HCP) vaccination coverage rates (VCR) against the influenza virus as a component of hospitals' performance criteria. In essence, it means that hospitals evaluate the performance of their staff based on their adherence to influenza vaccination guidelines, emphasizing the importance of healthcare professionals being vaccinated against the flu.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Rashid H, Yin JK, Ward K, King C, Seale H, Booy R. Assessing interventions to improve influenza vaccine uptake among health care workers. Health Aff. 2016;35(2):284–92.

  2. Lindley MC, Mu Y, Hoss A, Pepin D, Kalayil EJ, van Santen KL, et al. Association of State Laws With Influenza Vaccination of Hospital Personnel. Am J Prev Med [Internet]. 2019;56(6):e177–83.

  3. Greene MT, Fowler KE, Ratz D, Krein SL, Bradley SF, Saint S. Changes in Influenza Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Personnel in US Hospitals. JAMA Netw open. 2018;1(2).

  4. Kitt E, Burt S, Price SM, Satchell L, Offit PA, Sammons JS, et al. Implementation of a Mandatory Influenza Vaccine Program: A 10-year experience. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;

  5. Costantino C, Restivo V, Tramuto F, Casuccio A, Vitale F. Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers in Italy: Could mandatory vaccination be a solution to protect patients? Future Microbiol. 2019;14(9s):45–9.

get more info about this pollicy

This policy entails the establishment of a sustainable and resilient procurement system aimed at guaranteeing a consistent vaccine supply to prevent shortages and ensure that all individuals identified as vaccination targets have access to their required vaccine doses.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Grieco L, Panovska-Griffiths J, van Leeuwen E, Grove P, Utley M. Exploring the role of mass immunisation in influenza pandemic preparedness: A modelling study for the UK context. Vaccine [Internet]. 2020;38(33):5163–70.

  2. Farooq MU, Hussain A, Masood T, Habib MS. Supply chain operations management in pandemics: A State-of-the-Art Review Inspired by COVID-19. Sustainability. 2021;13.

  3. Wilsdon T, Lawlor R, Li L, Rafila A, García Rojas A. The impact of vaccine procurement methods on public health in selected European countries. Expert Rev Vaccines [Internet]. 2020;19(2):123–32.

Faccilitated access to vaccinationFaccilitated access to vaccination

get more info about this pollicy

This policy aims to facilitate access to multiple vaccination settings, enabling individuals to receive vaccinations conveniently at various locations.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Rashid H, Yin JK, Ward K, King C, Seale H, Booy R. Assessing interventions to improve influenza vaccine uptake among health care workers. Health Aff. 2016;35(2):284–92.

  2. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The organization and delivery of vaccination services in the European Unit. 2018.

  3. Gazmararian JA, Coleman M, Prill M, Hinman AR, Ribner BS, Washington ML, et al. Influenza vaccination of health care workers: Policies and practices of hospitals in a community setting. Am J Infect Control. 2007;35(7):441–7.

get more info about this pollicy

This policy involves coordinating call-to-action communications from multiple stakeholders related to influenza vaccination. The objective is to effectively inform and motivate individuals from diverse target groups to get vaccinated against influenza.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Influenza Diabetes Community, European Scientific Working group on Influenza. Commitment paper of the Influenza/Diabetes Community [Internet]. 2019.

  2. Tailoring Immunization Programmes for Seasonal Influenza (TIP FLU) [Internet]. 2017.

  3. ECDC. Rapid literature review on motivating hesitant population groups in Europe to vaccinate. 2015.

get more info about this pollicy

This policy entails healthcare organizations sending pop-up notifications or SMS messages to eligible individuals, reminding them to receive the flu vaccine as recommended.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Loiacono MM, Mitsakakis N, Kwong JC, Gomez GB, Chit A, Grootendorst P. Development and Validation of a Clinical Prediction Tool for Seasonal Influenza Vaccination in England. JAMA Netw open. 2020;3(6):e207743.

  2. WHO. Tailoring Immunization Programmes for Seasonal Influenza (TIP FLU). 2017.

  3. ECDC. Rapid literature review on motivating hesitant population groups in Europe to vaccinate. 2015.

Healthcare professional accountability and engagementHealthcare professional accountability and engagement

get more info about this pollicy

This policy ensures that healthcare professionals undergo regular education and training in influenza vaccination. By staying updated, they are equipped to provide accurate information and assistance to individuals seeking guidance on vaccination.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Goldstein AO, Kincade JE, Gamble G, Bearman RS. Policies and Practices for Improving Influenza Immunization Rates Among Healthcare Workers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2004;25(11):908–11

  2. Rashid H, Yin JK, Ward K, King C, Seale H, Booy R. Assessing interventions to improve influenza vaccine uptake among health care workers. Health Aff. 2016;35(2):284–92.

  3. Maltezou H, Poland G. Immunization of Health-Care Providers: Necessity and Public Health Policies. Healthcare. 2016;4(3):47.

  4. Gazmararian JA, Coleman M, Prill M, Hinman AR, Ribner BS, Washington ML, et al. Influenza vaccination of health care workers: Policies and practices of hospitals in a community setting. Am J Infect Control. 2007;35(7):441–7.

get more info about this pollicy

This policy ensures fair and specific compensation for healthcare organizations and professionals for each vaccination administered in order to guarantee their engagement.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Greene MT, Fowler KE, Ratz D, Krein SL, Bradley SF, Saint S. Changes in Influenza Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Personnel in US Hospitals. JAMA Netw open. 2018;1(2).

  2. Gazmararian JA, Coleman M, Prill M, Hinman AR, Ribner BS, Washington ML, et al. Influenza vaccination of health care workers: Policies and practices of hospitals in a community setting. Am J Infect Control. 2007;35(7):441–7.

  3. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The organization and delivery of vaccination services in the European Unit. 2018.

get more info about this pollicy

This policy mandates the vaccination of healthcare professionals, making it a requirement for them to receive the vaccine.

Bibliographical references:

  1. Short E, Zimmerman PA, van de Mortel T. Barriers associated with mandatory influenza vaccination policies for healthcare workers: an integrative review. J Infect Prev. 2020;21(6):212–20.

  2. Rashid H, Yin JK, Ward K, King C, Seale H, Booy R. Assessing interventions to improve influenza vaccine uptake among health care workers. Health Aff. 2016;35(2):284–92.

  3. Greene MT, Fowler KE, Ratz D, Krein SL, Bradley SF, Saint S. Changes in Influenza Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Personnel in US Hospitals. JAMA Netw open. 2018;1(2).

  4. Paul KT, Loer K. Contemporary vaccination policy in the European Union: tensions and dilemmas. J Public Health Policy [Internet]. 2019;40:166–79.

  5. Lindley MC, Mu Y, Hoss A, Pepin D, Kalayil EJ, van Santen KL, et al. Association of State Laws With Influenza Vaccination of Hospital Personnel. Am J Prev Med [Internet]. 2019;56(6):e177–83.

  6. Kitt E, Burt S, Price SM, Satchell L, Offit PA, Sammons JS, et al. Implementation of a Mandatory Influenza Vaccine Program: A 10-year experience. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;

  7. Costantino C, Restivo V, Tramuto F, Casuccio A, Vitale F. Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers in Italy: Could mandatory vaccination be a solution to protect patients? Future Microbiol. 2019;14(9s):45–9.

  8. Wang TL, Jing L, Bocchini JA. Mandatory influenza vaccination for all healthcare personnel: A review on justification, implementation and effectiveness. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2017;29(5):606–15.

  9. Maltezou H, Poland G. Immunization of Health-Care Providers: Necessity and Public Health Policies. Healthcare. 2016;4(3):47.

  10. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The organization and delivery of vaccination services in the European Unit. 2018.

Awareness of the burden and severity of the diseaseAwareness of the burden and severity of the disease

get more info about this pollicy

This policy involves a coordinated effort among various entities, both public and private, related to influenza vaccination, to create comprehensive awareness and communication campaigns. These campaigns aim to educate the public on the importance of influenza virus vaccination, including the involvement of patient advocacy groups (PAGs).

Bibliographical references:

  1. Influenza Diabetes Community, European Scientific Working group on Influenza. Commitment paper of the Influenza/Diabetes Community [Internet]. 2019.

  2. Maltezou H, Poland G. Immunization of Health-Care Providers: Necessity and Public Health Policies. Healthcare. 2016;4(3):47.

  3. Chevalier-Cottin EP, Ashbaugh H, Brooke N, Gavazzi G, Santillana M, Burlet N, et al. Communicating Benefits from Vaccines Beyond Preventing Infectious Diseases. Infect Dis Ther. 2020;9:467–80.

  4. WHO Europe. Vaccination and trust [Internet]. Copenhagen; 2017.

Belief in influenza vaccination benefitsBelief in vaccination benefits

get more info about this pollicy

This policy advocates for positive media coverage of influenza vaccination, ensuring that the media adequately covers and promotes the importance of vaccination against influenza.

Bibliographical references:

  1. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The organization and delivery of vaccination services in the European Unit. 2018.

  2. Kumar S, Xu C, Ghildayal N, Chandra C, Yang M. Social media effectiveness as a humanitarian response to mitigate influenza epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic. Ann Oper Res [Internet]. 2021;

  3. Bonnevie E, Rosenberg SD, Kummeth C, Goldbarg J, Wartella E, Smyser J. Using social media influencers to increase knowledge and positive attitudes toward the flu vaccine. PLoS One [Internet].

Target Population

We acknowledge that some of the policies are already in partial implementation in the selected country, despite presenting room for improvement.

 
Clear Selection  

Complementary Bibliographical References

What is the Let’s
Control Flu project

The “Let ́s Control Flu” (LCF) is a high-grade online digital tool to support Public Health Policy (PHP) decision-making towards increasing Influenza Vaccination Coverage Rates (VCR) to at least 75% in EU countries, a goal defined by the WHO and reiterated by the ECDC.

It aims to help flu-related stakeholders better understand how different PHP decisions may affect the epidemics of influenza in those countries.

The LCF will allow comparing countries' influenza-related PHP when more countries are integrated. These will be very easy to use through gamification.

The LCF tool empowers patients' advocacy and PHP decision-making because it allows them to create epidemiological scenarios without the user having to master epidemiological modelling techniques or search for statistical series, thus being an empowerment tool for health democracy.

Provides scientific information on influenza and influenza vaccination in a language accessible to any citizen, contributing to the fight against fake anti-vaxxers’ news.

The National
Advisory Boards

In each country where the LCF project is implemented, there will be a National Advisory Board (NAB) comprising a group of Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) on flu vaccination, invited to participate by the Scientific Coordination project.

The NAB constitution seeks to capture different perspectives and complementarities of knowledge fields related to influenza vaccination: experience in influenza vaccination campaign management, influenza modelling and vaccination, PHP experience, influenza vaccination communication or other skills and competencies that may be useful for the project’s purpose.

Each NAB member may have one or more of the skills listed above.

 

About the
LCF Partners’ Roles

NOVA-IMS Center for Global Health

The NOVA-IMS Center for Global Health of the NOVA University of Lisbon is the scientific coordinator of the “Let’s Control Flu” Project. The team is based in Lisbon, Portugal..

external scientific advising of Professor Rifat Atun

In this project, the NOVA Center for Global Health has the external scientific advising of Professor Rifat Atun, from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This team is based in Boston-USA.

The Public Health Unit (USP-ICS) at the Health Sciences Institute (ICS) of the Catholic University of Portugal was the scientific coordinator of the international scientific project for the Swedish Pilot Phase.

Partners

Logo sanofi

Sanofi is the funder and enabler of the LCF project. This team is based in Lyon‑France.

NEXTPOWER

Nextpower is responsible for the LCF Project Management, communication between partners, scientific secretariat, legal work and financial management. This team is based in Lisbon-Portugal.

Webview

Webview is responsible for the development of the website and IT tool. This team is based in Lisbon-Portugal.

Download the App

Download the app