During the EP plenary session (16-19 April 2018) in Strasbourg, MEPs discuss and vote on vaccine hesitancy and drop in vaccination rates in Europe. Statements by Elena GENTILE (S&D, IT) and Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS, Member of the EC in charge of Health and Food Safety. Illustrative pictures

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

vote

ANDRIUKAITIS, Vytenis (LT, EC)

healthcare safety (T)

GENTILE, Elena (S&D, IT)

Vaccine hesitancy and drop in vaccination rates in Europe: extracts from the debate (18/04), extracts from the vote and illustrative pictures

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Elena GENTILE (S&amp;D, IT), Author, <p>We are asking the European institutions to play a better role on governance in public health policy to try to turn around the trend that we are currently seeing, whereby vaccines are being questioned and misinformation campaigns are raising questions about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.</p>

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Elena GENTILE (S&amp;D, IT), Author, Education is the most efficient tool to defeat mistrust or fear. Recommending and convincing people is of course better than forcing them to do so. However compulsory vaccines might be a necessary step to help move us forward in attaining the objective of grouped vaccination to avoid putting at risk the lives of people. The Italian case can be an example to consider.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS, Member of the EC in charge of Health and Food Safety, Over 14 000 people contacted measles in the EU in 2017, more than 3 times than in 2016. And 57 deaths due to measles have been reported here since 2016. It&rsquo;s so painful to see this picture! A safe, effective and cheap measles vaccine exists, so every one of these deaths is unacceptable and it is an avoidable death, preventable death, it is deeply unacceptable. Why on earth are people avoiding vaccinations?

We simply cannot afford the waste of potential of vaccination to save lives. We need to harness all our resources and energy in a coordinated effort to restore public confidence in vaccination.

<p>Vote on the EP report on Vaccine hesitancy and drop in vaccination rates in Europe, final vote by raise of hands (5 shots)</p>

Illustration of baby getting a vaccine at the ONE (Health service for children in Belgium).