World Immunization Week 2022

Vaccination saves lives, promotes wellbeing and protects functional ability throughout life. Vaccines4Life works to improve rates of vaccination globally and throughout the lifecourse, as a key contributor to healthy ageing.

This World Immunization Week, explore and share the projects and programs which aim to improve adult vaccination uptake and support a #LongLifeForAll.

It’s time to promote healthy ageing, advocate for a well-lived life and make your community safe.

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#WorldImmunizationWeek

#NIAW2022

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The Immunisation of All Ages Manifesto

The Immunisation for All Ages (IFAA) initiative is working to combat inequity and improve access to immunisation to help promote health throughout life, to preserve function and to help prevent death and disability. To achieve this, efforts in support of a life course approach to immunisation must be strengthened through strategic alignment with international health agendas.

Immunisation for All Ages Manifesto

Bringing the Voices of Canadian Seniors Together in the Fight Against Influenza

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) sets a target of 80% for influenza immunization, but rates remain between 62% to 64% every year despite the health implications of influenza on older persons. The study entitled Bringing the Voices of Canadian Seniors Together in the Fight Against Influenza for the first time collected real world evidence of barriers to influenza vaccination faced by seniors across Canada.

Read the full report and share the key messages below

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Influencing Adult Pneumonia Vaccination Policy

Across nearly two decades, deaths from pneumonia among adults more than 70 years of age increased by 60 %.¹ Pneumococcal pneumonia is vaccine preventable and recommended for older adults in many countries, yet vaccination uptake remains suboptimal in this group.

“Influencing Adult Pneumonia Vaccination Policy” assessed pneumonia vaccination policy, public health messages and campaigns for at-risk adult groups and older people across nine European countries with the ultimate goal of improving uptake rates of pneumonia vaccination and decreasing the burden of pneumonia among high-risk adults.

Reference:

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1736– 1788.

Read the Country Reports on Adult Pneumonia Vaccination Policy and Public Health Messages below.

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Driving Adult Vaccination Policy – Webinar Series

The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) has for over a decade been working to improve the global adult vaccination uptake rates by influencing policy and practice change.

The IFA remains extremely concerned that there is insufficient policy dialogue about improving adult vaccination coverage through an integrated approach at the country level, informed by the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, the Immunization Agenda 2030 and the WHO Global Report on Ageism.

To encourage and drive action, the IFA convened a three-part webinar series Driving Adult Vaccination Policy, built around issues for which immunisation policy and/or action will improve and save the lives of potentially millions of older people.

Re-watch the webinars below

Immunosenescence a proxy for high-risk populations in immunisation policy

Click here to watch the webinar.

The purpose of this webinar is to improve understanding of the increased risk of infectious disease as we age and to inform a more comprehensive public health strategy that includes immunosenescence as a high-risk factor for infectious diseases, including pneumococcal disease.

Combatting ageism as a policy lever in the delivery of vaccines in long-term care facilities

Click here to watch the webinar.

The purpose of this webinar is to improve understanding of the impact of institutional ageism on the health of older people in long-term care facilities and highlight the importance of routine immunisation as an intervention that saves lives and money.

Global equity in vaccination as a sustainable solution towards a healthier global population

Click here to watch the webinar.

The purpose of this webinar is to highlight that investment in life-course immunization must be viewed as central component to universal health coverage and therefore contribute to ending inequities experienced at an individual, community, and population level.

Adult Vaccination Advocacy Toolkit (AVAT)

As part of IFAs contribution to the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and in response to a significant gap in evidence-based assets, the Adult Vaccination Advocacy Toolkit (AVAT) was developed help build the capacity and capability of civil society to influence and shape policy specific to the population they represent and country situation. The AVAT is a collection of authoritative and adaptable resources designed around four key policy issues that impact the rates of adult vaccination at an individual and population-based level.

Click here to register for the “Launching the Adult Vaccination Advocacy (AVAT) Toolkit: Empowering civil society to address policies that constitute barriers for improving adult vaccination rates”.

To launch of the Adult Vaccination Advocacy Toolkit the IFA is pleased to invite you to the webinar “Empowering civil society to address policies that constitute barriers for improving adult vaccination rates.”

The goal of this webinar is to empower civil society to take action to advocate for changes in these policies to create a world of healthy older people whose rights to safe and appropriate vaccines are protected and respected through programs that hold high the principles of prevention, access, and equity.

Click on the image to download.

Adult Vaccination Health Care Professional Education ECHO Program (AV-HCP ECHO)

Vaccine-preventable diseases including influenza, pneumonia and others pose serious risks to health and well-being, functional ability, autonomy, and survival of older adults, individuals living with chronic conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease), as well as the health care professionals (HCPs) who care for them on the frontline.

In the face of emerging and ongoing vaccine hesitancy, HCPs remain the most trusted advisors and influencers of vaccination decisions. However, the capacity and confidence of HCPs in conveying new knowledge is at times stretched as they are faced with time constraints, increased workload, and limited resources. There is often inadequate information and training on the latest trends in adult immunization, including perceived barriers to address the concerns of older adults.

In response, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) is thrilled to launch the Adult Vaccination Health Care Professional Education ECHO Program (AV-HCP ECHO), a scalable learning curriculum based on the world-renowned Project ECHO^TM model, geared toward pharmacists, nurses, community support workers, long-term care staff and physicians. Through a comprehensive curriculum, the development of a learning community will act as a platform for sharing evidence, tools, and good practices needed to empower HCPs to become champions of adult immunization in their communities.