Often, the most vulnerable population groups experience severe or even lethal forms of vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as losses in quality of life, functional ability and productivity. It is essential to identify these groups and their specific vaccination needs, and to take measures to improve vaccine confidence and uptake among them. Pharmacists play a key role in raising awareness and building confidence in vaccines, and in promoting a convenient access to vaccinations. Over several months, FIP organised a series of events focusing on the vaccination needs of several special-risk population groups. With this final event, we invite you to engage with an intersectoral roundtable on this topic and witness the launch of a summary publication and a series of short videos to support pharmacists in these roles.
Vaccines for special-risk groups: roundtable summit (French translation)
Page: Vaccination
Vaccines for special-risk groups: roundtable summit
Often, the most vulnerable population groups experience severe or even lethal forms of vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as losses in quality of life, functional ability and productivity. It is essential to identify these groups and their specific vaccination needs, and to take measures to improve vaccine confidence and uptake among them. Pharmacists play a key role in raising awareness and building confidence in vaccines, and in promoting a convenient access to vaccinations. Over several months, FIP organised a series of events focusing on the vaccination needs of several special-risk population groups. With this final event, we invite you to engage with an intersectoral roundtable on this topic and witness the launch of a summary publication and a series of short videos to support pharmacists in these roles.
Vaccines & special-risk groups: Diabetes
Vaccination is one of the most effective measures to prevent disease transmission and protect populations from a variety of diseases that heavily impact individuals and health systems. Overall, through the provision of person-centred pharmaceutical services, pharmacists play a key role ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing, as well as promoting more effective, rational, and widespread use of vaccines. Among the different special-risk population groups for vaccine-preventable diseases, people living with diabetes have particular vaccination needs that will be highlighted at this event.
Global symposium: Why flu vaccination matters
Despite a temporary drop in the incidence of seasonal influenza during the pandemic, it will continue to represent a heavy burden for healthcare systems and societies overall. In a post-pandemic scenario, it will be crucial to protect and further advance the progress that had been achieved globally in terms of flu vaccination rates. This event will discuss why flu vaccination remains a priority, and how co-administration of flu and COVID-19 vaccines can provide a convenient and effective solution for driving vaccination uptake for both diseases. The event will also explore how pharmacists can contribute to flu vaccination strategies.
Vaccines & special-risk groups: Older adults
Vaccination is one of the most effective measures to prevent disease transmission and help people remain healthy and retain functional ability as they grow older. Adopting a life-course approach to vaccination and providing convenient and accessible vaccination pathways for older adults is essential to achieve high vaccination coverage rates in this particular population group. Pharmacists increasingly offer reliable information and vaccination services around the world. Among the different special-risk population groups, older adults have specific vaccination needs that will be discussed in this event.
Co-administration of flu and COVID vaccines: Improving convenience and vaccination coverage
Influenza and COVID-19 can have an important impact in health, productivity and quality of life, especially for vulnerable populations. Likewise, both diseases have vaccines that are available and support a lower risk of transmission of the disease.
Pharmacists can play a major role in reminding people to get vaccinated, building vaccine confidence and supporting their decision making, dispensing vaccines and, in some countries, administering those vaccines. The coadministration of these vaccines can lead to an efficient and convenient way of improving vaccine uptake against both diseases. Community pharmacies’s accessibility and credibility put them in an ideal situation to provide this important service, thus making a valuable contribution to disease prevention.
Le rôle des pharmaciens dans la prévention de la grippe et l’augmentation de la couverture vaccinale
This event will focus on pharmacists’ roles in influenza prevention through vaccination and increasing influenza vaccination coverage rate. The event will focus on the risks of influenza and showcase good practices from pharmacists across the continent on pharmacists’ public health role through influenza vaccination, digital health solutions in pharmacy on influenza vaccination and effective communication with patients to deliver flu vaccines on the right time. This event aims to improve pharmacists’ knowledge, improve pharmaceutical services delivery and overall health outcomes of the public in the context of influenza vaccination.
The role of pharmacists in preventing influenza and increasing vaccination coverage rate
This event will focus on pharmacists’ roles in influenza prevention through vaccination and increasing influenza vaccination coverage rate. The event will focus on the risks of influenza and showcase good practices from pharmacists across the continent on pharmacists’ public health role through influenza vaccination, digital health solutions in pharmacy on influenza vaccination and effective communication with patients to deliver flu vaccines on the right time. This event aims to improve pharmacists’ knowledge, improve pharmaceutical services delivery and overall health outcomes of the public in the context of influenza vaccination.
Videos: Vaccines and special-risk population groups
While vaccines are recommended for almost everyone, there are specific groups of people who may be particularly vulnerable to severe forms of vaccine-preventable diseases. Their health conditions may increase the risk of developing complications requiring hospitalisation, developing secondary illnesses or even dying. Therefore, it is imperative to actively promote vaccination to those groups to ensure that they receive all the vaccines that are suitable for their age and clinical situation. Pharmacists can play an important role in promoting and advocating vaccination to these groups by leveraging their accessibility, expertise and trust by the population. Their frequent interactions with the public provide valuable opportunities to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination.
Vaccination of special-risk groups: A toolkit for pharmacists (2022)
Pharmacists are one of the most easily accessible healthcare professionals, and they are increasingly engaged in primary healthcare strategies, including disease prevention. Pharmacists are key healthcare professionals to support specific population groups who are more vulnerable to severe forms of vaccine-preventable diseases and have a higher risk of hospitalisation, loss of functional ability and even death. These special-risk groups must be the target of proactive and systematic actions by healthcare professionals to ensure they are vaccinated against all diseases that may impact their health in a severe and largely preventable way.