Adult Immunisation
- ABOUT
- CURRENT PROJECTS
- PUBLICATIONS
- PREVENTION INDEX
- PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION ATLAS
- EVENTS
- BLOGS
- VIDEOS
- PARTNERSHIPS
- FUNDERS
- GET IN TOUCH
About
ILC has over 20 years of experience working at the forefront of health policy and systems research and our networks and influencing ability on changing global health agendas is unparalleled. We have worked on adult immunisation policy and research in the UK and across the world over the past 15 years.
ILC were a founding and leading member of SAATI (Supporting Active Ageing Through Immunisation), a pan-European partnership of individuals who had an interest in improving the health of citizens as they grow older and reducing the incidence of illness through effective immunisation. SAATI aimed to increase public and policy makers’ awareness of the need for adult vaccinations to combat vaccine-preventable diseases, such as flu, pneumococcal disease and shingles.
We have subsequently undertaken a large number of projects focussing on this important topic. Most recently, we have run an international programme on Prevention in an ageing world, through which we have engaged with senior decision-makers across the G20, WHO, OECD, World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Adult vaccination is a key theme of the programme.
Over recent years we have also:
- Run a media campaign on shingles uptake and eligibility guidelines;
- Organised policy events, and spoken at events in Abu Dhabi, London, Brussels, New York, Zurich, Geneva, Paris, Madrid, Florence, Stockholm, Bucharest, Niigata, and Gandhinagar;
- Engaged with UK and global policymakers on vaccination;
- Spoken in the UK Parliament and European Parliament, and at the WHO;
- Written articles on adult immunisation for the Guardian and the International Federation of Ageing among others.
And our work has had an impact:
- We advocated the use of “self-declaration forms” where individuals who refused vaccination were asked to sign to say they didn’t want it. There are now pilots with workers testing this initiative.
- We advocated reimbursement for the flu vaccination for care workers. In 2017, the UK Government made a £10 million commitment to ensure this happens.
- We advocated changes to the guidelines for shingles vaccination in the UK as consumers were finding it difficult to understand. The UK Government has subsequently changed the guidelines.
Current projects
Please visit our Programmes page to view all of our current projects.
Publications
No health, no wealth: the cost-effectiveness and socioeconomic value of life course immunisation (2024)
Population ageing is a key challenge facing most countries around the world, but the opportunities of longevity are not widely recognised by decision makers. Living longer means more of us can spend more time in work, volunteering, caring, spending, saving, and doing the things that matter to us. Previous ILC research has found that the G20 loses around $1 trillion every year to poor health, most of which is preventable.
Painfully unaware: improving understanding of shingles vaccination (2024)
1 in 3 adults will get shingles in their lifetime. As we get older, the risk of more severe shingles infection increases. Side effects like nerve damage, neurological conditions, vision and hearing loss, and skin infections all become more likely. When people develop a more severe shingles infection, this not only burdens healthcare systems, but also affects economies.
Shifting the narrative: Inspiring increased vaccine confidence across Central and Eastern Europe (2023)
Since the 1990s, there has been ever-growing social, economic, and political integration between Eastern and Western Europe. The relationship between EU countries is now one of interconnectedness, cooperation, and shared values. Yet when it comes to health, there are still disparities between countries in Central and Eastern Europe and those in the rest of Europe.
Moving the needle: Improving uptake of adult vaccination in Japan (2023)
For a wealthy and ageing country, Japan remains an outlier in terms of attitudes to adult vaccination, with surveys showing that just 4.7% of adults in Japan agreed that vaccines were important, 25.1% agreed they were safe and 9.9% agreed they were effective. Despite grappling with a flu epidemic in 2019, Japan is still struggling to significantly raise vaccination uptake rates among older adults.
European Pneumococcal Vaccination: A Progress Report (2023)
Across Europe, vaccination against pneumococcal disease remains low. Despite clear and rigorous recommendations for children, recommendations for older adults and those living with clinical conditions are lacking – with a subsequent lack of coverage and uptake. This is despite an average of 20,353 cases and 1,041 deaths from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) across the EU/EEA each year.
Moving the margins: Improving pneumococcal vaccine uptake in marginalised groups (2022)
Marginalised and underserved groups have historically been the least likely to get vaccinated against infectious diseases, and the pneumococcal vaccine is no exception. Through an evidence review of “what works” and interviews with experts, this report makes a series of recommendations on what must be done to improve pneumococcal vaccine uptake in marginalised groups.
Generation Vax: Leveraging intergenerational relations to increase uptake of immunisation (2022)
Previous research has found that older people are less likely to use social media than younger generations. As evidence suggests that younger people can influence the health behaviour of older relatives offline, we set out to test whether social media could be used to engage older people via their younger relatives using a large-scale targeted social media advertising campaign.
Hitting new heights: Improving vaccination uptake among patients with chronic conditions across Europe (2022)
Across Europe, COVID-19 has threatened the health and longevity of society’s most clinically vulnerable groups. Given that 25% of European adults are living with two or more chronic conditions, the case for vaccination has become vital during the pandemic. Yet when it comes to routine vaccination, uptake in Europeans with chronic conditions is concerningly low.
Reducing the risk: Improving vaccine uptake across at-risk groups in the UK (2021)
The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the importance of immunisation in preventing disease outbreaks and protecting public health. In particular, safeguarding the most clinically vulnerable from COVID-19 has become a crucial priority. Yet while COVID-19 vaccine uptake has been high in clinical risk – or “at-risk” – groups, uptake for other routine vaccinations remains low.
Reducing the risk: Recommendations for charities to help increase vaccination uptake in at-risk people (2021)
The Reducing the risk good practice guide is aimed at equipping charities with ideas on how to encourage routine vaccination.
Ready to roll out: Improving routine vaccination uptake in the UK, post-pandemic (2021)
Immunisation is a tried, tested and effective way to prevent disease that saves an estimated six million lives and tens of billions of dollars worldwide every year. In the last 18 months, we’ve seen the impact of infectious diseases on public health and finances all too starkly, as this was brought to the fore by the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK has responded with an immunisation programme that has been in many respects an international example of best practice. But we can’t afford to become complacent.
Healthier for longer: Improving adult immunisation uptake in Singapore (2020)
This report has been produced in collaboration with ILC Singapore. It explores the relationship between Singapore’s ageing population and adult vaccination. The report finds that as Singapore’s health system is coming under increasing pressure as its population grows older, more must be done to overcome the challenges to adult vaccination uptake.
Safeguarding healthy ageing – Potential solutions to improve immunisation coverage rates among older adults in the UK (2020)
Alongside regular exercise, enjoying a varied diet and avoiding tobacco, immunisation is a tried, tested and effective means of staying healthy throughout the life course and a key component of healthy ageing. However, the uptake of adult immunisation is not consistent across the UK, and adults in at-risk groups may not necessarily know or ask about vaccination.
Lost time: Productivity and the flu (2019)
As part of our Prevention in an ageing world programme, we have been investigating the scale and future trends of selected non-communicable and communicable diseases (cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, lung cancer, HIV and influenza) among people aged 50 and over. In this report, we explore the case for action to prevent influenza (flu) among older people.
Contained or contagious? The future of infectious disease in ageing societies (2019)
Increased longevity should be celebrated as one of society’s greatest accomplishments. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to adapt to the new profile of our ageing society if we are to maximise the potential benefits of longevity. And health systems have a key role to play in this.
Healthy ageing in Hong Kong (2019)
While Hong Kong’s health system has been ranked as the most efficient in the world, it is coming under increasing strain as the population ages. Based on a series of interviews conducted with key stakeholders in Hong Kong during March 2019 and desk research, this briefing explores the relationship between Hong Kong’s health system and the needs of its ageing population, with a particular focus on a preventative approach to healthcare.
Under the skin: Listening to the voices of older people on influenza immunisation (2019)
Preventing ill-health and reducing the burden of disease is increasingly recognised as vital in the context of an ageing society, and influenza immunisation programmes are a key plank of preventative strategies in many countries across the world. Rates of influenza immunisation remain good among older adults, however, in recent years, they have begun to stagnate.
Data, bots and drones: Can technology help increase uptake of adult immunisation? (2019)
Through the use of big data, the sharing economy and AI amongst others, technology could play a major role in overcoming some of the barriers to the uptake of adult vaccinations. While growing anti-vaccination sentiments have been impacting on immunisation uptake across the globe, a “fightback” has begun with pro-science doctors and healthcare organisations developing a more savvy online presence and better content to respond to the anti-vaccination movement.
The future of infectious diseases – 100 years since the Spanish Flu (2018)
2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the Spanish Flu. While deaths from infectious diseases have fallen, infectious diseases today are far from defeated. Academics and policymakers alike are concerned about a growing complacency surrounding the risks of infectious diseases, with additional risk factors such as antimicrobial resistance, climate change and urbanisation among others increasing the risk of a future pandemic.
An economic analysis of flu vaccination (2018)
This report presents findings from a new economic model on cost-benefit analyses for differing uptake and efficacy scenarios for the English flu vaccination programme. Seasonal influenza remains a potent public health concern around the globe. Those with underlying health conditions are exposed to serious and even fatal consequences if they catch the flu. The flu continues to impose a serious burden on health services, as well as resulting in “productivity losses” due to poor health and premature mortality.
The Future of Adult Immunisation (2018)
From big data to blockchain, and gamification to AI and robotics, can technology help increase uptake of adult immunisations? ILC-UK have published a think piece which explores how technology is beginning to influence the delivery and uptake of adult vaccination.
Immune Response: Adult immunisation in the UK (2013)
An examination of the UK adult immunisation policy framework in light of European research conducted by SAATI (Supporting Active Ageing Through Immunisation).
Adult vaccination – a key component of healthy ageing (2013)
Current societal and financial challenges are demanding a revision of how health budgets are spent with a view to increasing both savings and sustainability. In light of these challenges, the SAATI Partnership has launched their report on “Adult vaccination: a key component of healthy ageing – Benefits of life-course immunisation in Europe” to raise awareness of the health and socio-economic benefits of a life-course approach to immunisation.
Life Course Immunisation: Improving adult immunisation to support healthy ageing (2011)
ILC-UK calls for a life course approach to adult immunisation starting with the flu jab for all over 50s ILC-UK has published a report today calling for a new life course approach to adult immunisation, starting with extending NHS availability of the ‘flu jab to all over 50s. The report was prompted by supply and demand issues with last winter’s flu vaccination and followed a subsequent ILC-UK meeting in March 2011 at which vaccine experts came together to discuss adult immunisation in the UK.
The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index
The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index ranks 153 countries against six indicators: life span, health span, work span, income, environmental performance, and happiness. This allows us to compare how sustainable different countries are, both in terms of longer lives and the extent to which their governments are investing in efforts to prevent ill health and support healthy ageing.
Our findings suggest countries that spend more on preventative healthcare and immunisation perform better on the Index:
We also find that there is a noticeable difference between adult flu vaccination uptake between Western and Eastern Europe:
And finally, countries that spend more on immunisation gain more years in life expectancy and perform better on the Index:
The Pneumococcal Vaccination Atlas
The Pneumococcal Vaccination Atlas is a bespoke data source showcasing pneumococcal vaccination coverage and recommendations across Europe. Data has been gathered from various sources to produce a better picture of what pneumococcal vaccination currently looks like in 42 European countries.
Events
Upcoming events
Please see our Events page to view all of our upcoming events.
Past events
High-level roundtable alongside UN High-Level Meetings: The role of immunisation in pandemic preparedness and universal health coverage
Date: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Time: 7:30am – 9:30am EDT
Location: The Harvard Club, New York
At this high-level roundtable alongside the UN High Level Meetings, we discussed pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and Universal Health Coverage.
Roundtable discussion: Vaccine confidence in Central & Eastern Europe
Date: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Time: 12.00pm – 2.00pm EEST
Location: University of Bucharest, Romania
We hosted a roundtable discussion to outline the findings from our forthcoming report and to allow participants to offer further input before its final publication.
Report launch – Moving the needle: Improving uptake of adult vaccination in Japan
Date: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Time: 9.00am – 10.30am BST (5.00pm – 6.30pm JST)
Location: Virtual (Zoom webinar)
At this event, we launched our Moving the needle report, produced in partnership with Stripe Partners.
Working lunch: Pneumococcal Vaccination Atlas website launch
Dates: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Time: 12:30pm–2:30pm CET
Location: Radisson RED, Rue d’Idalie 35, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
During this event, we launched the Pneumococcal Vaccination Atlas to European stakeholders across policymaking, civil society, and academia. We showcased the new website and discussed the current levels of pneumococcal vaccination coverage and recommendations across Europe.
Report launch: Moving the Margins: Improving pneumococcal vaccine uptake in marginalised groups
Date: Thursday, 1 December 2022
Time: 12.00pm – 1.00pm GMT
During this webinar, we discussed our new findings on how we can influence change and improve adult pneumococcal vaccine uptake in marginalised groups across Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and US.
Delivering prevention in an ageing world – Global launch
Dates: Monday, 6 June – Wednesday, 8 June 2022
Location: Les Pensieres, Centre for Global Health, Annecy, France
During our Global launch, we presented findings on how we can best deliver preventative health interventions across the world and what needs to happen next to see action on prevention in the build-back from COVID-19. This included several discussions on adult vaccination and life course immunisation.
Vaccines and vacation: The role played by immunisation in getting tourism moving again
Date: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm BST (3.00pm – 4.30pm CEST)
In this webinar, the ILC and the Coalition for Life-course Immunisation (CLCI) discussed the role immunisation can play in getting tourism moving again in a post-COVID Europe.
Report launch: Generation Vax – Leveraging intergenerational relations to increase immunisation uptake
Date: Tuesday, 15 March 2022
Time: 2.00pm – 4.00pm GMT
In this webinar, we explored whether social media can help increase the uptake of flu and pneumococcal vaccination and whether younger people via social media can encourage their older friends and family to get routine immunisations.
Report launch: Hitting new heights: Improving vaccination uptake among patients with chronic conditions across Europe
Date: Thursday, 3 February 2022
Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm GMT (2.00pm – 3.30pm CET)
At this webinar, we launched Hitting new heights: Improving vaccination uptake among patients with chronic conditions across Europe, produced in partnership with the Coalition for Life-course Immunisation (CLCI).
Dinner debate: Healthy ageing in Japan – Lessons from COVID-19 for the future of adult immunisation
Date: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Time: 6.30pm GMT
During this dinner debate, we spoke about our plans to conduct field research in Japan and gathered ideas from academics, industry experts and policymakers.
During our discussion, we spoke about:
- Attitudes to healthy ageing and immunisation in Japan;
- Opportunities and policy levers in the Japanese context, including learnings from COVID-19;
- Lessons from across the world on what works and doesn’t in addressing low immunisation uptake rates.
Working lunch: Improving vaccination uptake among patients with chronic conditions across Europe
Date: Tuesday, 12 October 2021
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Alongside the Coalition for Life-course Immunisation (CLCI), we held a working lunch to discuss ways of improving vaccination uptake among patients with chronic conditions in Europe.
Report launch: Reducing the risk – improving vaccine uptake across at-risk groups in the UK
Date: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Time: 2.00pm – 4.00pm
At this webinar, we launched our report, commissioned by MSD, on routine vaccination in clinical risk groups in the UK.
Policy briefing launch: Ready to rollout – Improving uptake of routine immunisation in a post-pandemic UK
Date: Thursday, 9 September 2021
Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm
We launched our policy briefing, commissioned by MSD, on improving uptake for routine immunisation across the life course in a post-pandemic UK.
Under the microscope: Comparing countries’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic
Date: Thursday, 1 July 2021
Time: 9.00am – 10.30am BST (10.00am – 11.30am CEST, 4.00pm – 5.30pm CST)
This webinar was part of our ongoing international Delivering prevention in an ageing world programme and discussed the different experiences of COVID-19 across New Zealand, Israel and Taiwan.
Working group: Improving immunisation coverage rates among older adults in the UK – Getting commissioning right
Date: Thursday, 1 April 2021
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm
This working group meeting focussed on translating our third recommendation into action. In particular, it explored potential improvements to the delivery and funding of vaccination programmes, such as through the expansion of the workforce and collaboration with local authorities to improve vaccination delivery – as we have seen in the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine – and providing more clarity over sources of funding.
Working group: Improving immunisation coverage rates among older adults in the UK – Utilising data effectively
Date: Wednesday, 31 March 2021
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm
This working group meeting focussed on translating our second recommendation into action. In particular, it explored how we can improve access to standardised data to ensure the better interoperability of systems and better mechanisms to make people aware of immunisations they are eligible for.
Working group: Improving immunisation coverage rates among older adults in the UK – Taking a life course approach
Date: Tuesday, 30 March 2021
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm
This working group meeting focussed on translating our first recommendation into action. In particular, it discussed how we can embed a life course approach to immunisation in the UK healthcare system and consistent frame immunisation as being first and foremost a means of maintaining health and wellbeing.
Virtual roundtable: Adult immunisation in Japan
Date: Monday, 29 March 2021
11.00am – 1.00pm BST (7.00pm – 9.00pm JST)
At this roundtable, we spoke to academics and public health experts in the UK and Japan about adult immunisation in Japan.
Webinar: Maximising the impact of a COVID-19 vaccine in an ageing world
Date: Tuesday, 15 December 2020
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm
ILC held a webinar where we heard from experts at Pfizer, GSK, Sanofi and MSD on how we maximise uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination among older people, and heed the lessons from the pandemic for other adult vaccinations.
Webinar: Healthy ageing and adult vaccination in Singapore and Hong Kong
Date: Thursday, 1 October 2020
Time: 10.00am – 11.30am BST (5.00pm – 6.30pm SGT)
As part of the ILC Global Alliance’s 30th anniversary celebrations, ILC-UK and ILC Singapore held a webinar to discuss how Hong Kong and Singapore are responding to the challenges of an ageing society.
International Longevity Centre Adult Vaccination Workshop, Singapore
Dates: Monday, 14 – Tuesday, 15 October 2019
The International Longevity Centre, Singapore (ILC Singapore) at Tsao Foundation, in partnership with the International Longevity Centre, UK (ILC UK) held a two-day workshop on 14-15 October 2019 in Singapore to understand the state of policies and practices of adult vaccination in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Vaccination in an ageing world: Listening to older people
Date: Tuesday, 21 May 2019
Time: 12.00pm – 2.00pm
ILC launched a new report called Under the skin: Listening to the voices of older people on influenza immunisation. The event was held as a side event of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
The Future of Infectious Diseases: 100 years of the Spanish Flu
Date: Thursday, 8 November 2018
Time: 6.30pm – 8.00pm
This panel debate was held to mark the 100th Anniversary of Spanish Flu.
Immunisation in a digital world
Date: Tuesday, 26 June 2018
ILC held a participative event and futures workshop where we explored the potential for new technology to help increase the uptake of adult immunisation. This event was attended by policymakers, opinion formers, technology experts and those interested in health, ageing and vaccination.
Blogs
Putting preparedness on the election agenda: what must the next government do to ensure better planning and more investment in prevention to tackle the next pandemic?
24 June 2024
Patrick Swain, ILC’s Research and Development Manager, argues why political parties should outline their plans for the next pandemic ahead of the 2024 election.
A new vision for adult pneumococcal vaccination: Strengthening immunisation strategies
30 April 2024
Anna van Renen and Arunima Himawan explore the social and economic impact of pneumococcal disease and the need to address it through strengthening and improving current immunisation strategies.
Shifting the narrative: vaccine confidence in Central & Eastern Europe
27 November 2023
In her latest blog ILC’s Senior Health Policy Lead, Esther McNamara, considers the practical, social, and cultural reasons why countries in Central and Eastern Europe have levels of vaccination coverage below the EU average.
Getting through flu: seasonal vaccination is key to prevention programmes in an ageing world
10 November 2023
The value of flu vaccination is revisited almost every year by health leaders in the UK to determine the benefits of investment. In her article ILC’s Senior Health Policy Lead, Esther McNamara, sets out how we currently value seasonal influenza vaccination at a societal level. She argues for a clearer understanding of what we lose when people are unwell with flu; and for incorporating this into future cost-effectiveness calculations.
Does the UK still lead the world in immunisation?
27 July 2023
The International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) welcomes the Health and Social Care Committee’s report on vaccination. Across the life course, vaccination plays a fundamental role in preventing ill health and we believe vaccination is an integral part of the prevention agenda.
Vaccination has been vital during Covid-19 – let’s not forget the role of vaccines beyond this pandemic
8 December 2022
Over two-and-a-half years have passed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with many countries rolling out mass vaccination programmes, there is an end in sight for what has been a devastating public health crisis. But with much of the attention being placed on COVID-19 vaccines, there is a concern that other vaccination programmes are being forgotten.
Vaccines and vacation: How can routine immunisation help the European tourism industry post-COVID?
29 March 2022
Despite rising cases of the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant, COVID-19 booster vaccines have helped keep severe disease and hospitalisations much lower than anticipated during the winter months. As we head into the spring and summer months, there is hope that life will slowly begin to return to normal. And with the Government waiving all remaining COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers coming to England, the ability to visit other countries without constraint is becoming increasingly more possible.
2021: The year of the vaccine
15 December 2021
At the end of 2020, the UK became the first country in the Western world to approve the use of a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials. Since Margaret Keenan received the first ever dose on 8 December 2020, over 120 million vaccines have been administered to people up and down the country this year.
The role of pharmacists in expanding access to prevention across the life course
20 July 2021
In 2018, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) signed the World Health Organization (WHO) Declaration of Astana on Primary Health Care. The declaration was made to demonstrate the commitment of governments, civil society organizations and the global health community to strengthening Primary Health Care, as an essential tool in achieving universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Why is adult vaccination uptake low in Japan?
22 April 2021
The number of coronavirus cases has been increasing in Japan over the past six weeks, but vaccination progress continues to be relatively slow. Just around one million people or 1% of the population have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country.
One year on from lockdown: Why we need to continue the conversation about vaccines beyond the COVID-19 pandemic
23 March 2021
A year ago today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered a speech which marked the beginning of the UK’s first national lockdown. Millions of people were ordered to stay at home to suppress the spread of COVID-19, in order to save lives and stop the NHS from becoming overwhelmed. Life ever since has become unrecognisable.
Can the Olympics prompt a change in Japanese attitudes to vaccination?
10 February 2021
This year’s Olympics in Japan could attract 11,000 athletes and around 1 million overseas ticket holders. But as Japan invites the world to their place, the COVID-19 pandemic has put the widespread need for adult immunisation into sharp focus.
Who gets the COVID vaccine?
21 August 2020
The Australian Prime Minister this week attracted global media attention with an ambition of a 95% uptake target for a new COVID-19 vaccine. Alongside his statement he appeared to advocate for compulsory adult vaccinations.
If healthy ageing is the end point, how do we get there?
16 January 2020
Prevention is key to healthy ageing: preventing disease, limiting long-term impairment, and supporting people to live healthier lives for longer. However, translating the acknowledged importance of prevention into sustained action can be challenging. The ILC Global Alliance accepts this challenge and supports the ILC-UK in their mission to reshape the discourse around prevention, and the importance of preventative activities and interventions across the life course.
Cost-effectiveness of the seasonal flu vaccination in the population aged over 65
13 September 2018
It is common knowledge that people aged over 65 are encouraged to have a seasonal flu vaccine and each year approximately 70% do. The burden of influenza in this population is great; with the majority of influenza-attributable deaths occurring in this group.
100 years on from the Spanish Flu: Protecting ourselves from infectious diseases
6 August 2018
2018 marks the 100th Anniversary of Spanish Flu. The deadly influenza (flu) pandemic infected some 500 million people and resulted in deaths of between 50 and 100 million people. 17 million people may have died in India and half a million Americans lost their lives. Spanish Flu probably killed more people than the Black Death and more people in 24 weeks than AIDS did in 24 years.
Videos
G20 high-level side event in India – joint event with ILC-India
G7 high-level side event in Niigata, Japan
Report launch – Moving the needle: Improving uptake of adult vaccination in Japan
Simon Roberts introduces “Moving the needle: Increasing uptake of adult immunisation in Japan”
Understanding older people’s attitudes to seasonal flu vaccination
How can we better protect older people from the flu
How to change the attitudes of older people towards seasonal influenza vaccination
IFA Webinar: What is the role for public policy and technology in increasing immunisation uptake across the life course?
The role of technology in increasing adult immunisation uptake
Healthy ageing and adult immunisation
Partnerships
ILC has partnered with a number of organisations on adult immunisation to deliver research and engage with stakeholders. These organisations are all committed to making the case for adult immunisation and delivering vaccination in an ageing world.
Initiatives
Immunisation for All Ages (IFAA)
Vaccination has an important role to play in prevention and is a key component of healthy ageing, as has been highlighted in the most brutal way by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Immunisation for All Ages (IFAA) initiative, funded by Pfizer and supported by ILC, aims to promote immunisation across the life course.
Steering Group on Influenza Vaccination
The Steering Group on Influenza Vaccination is a multistakeholder platform aiming to drive influenza vaccination uptake in Europe. Members include:
- Active Citizenship Network
- Coalition for Life Course Immunisation
- European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Associations
- European Forum for Primary Care
- European Scientific Working group on Influenza
- European Specialist Nurses Organisation
- International Longevity Centre UK
- Vaccine Confidence Project
- Vaccines Europe
- World Association for Infectious Diseases
- World Medical Association
Organisations
Coalition for Life Course Immunisation
The Coalition for Life Course Immunisation (CLCI) is a diverse network of expert individuals and associations representing public health, patients, academics and health professionals from across Europe. CLCI is committed to preventing infectious disease over the life course by highlighting the benefits of wide-scale immunisation to its peers and to policy makers.
Vaccines4Life (IFA)
Part of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), Vaccines4Life is a knowledge mobilization platform that serves as a point of connection on the most urgent matters related to adult vaccination. Its vision is 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.
Active Citizenship Network (Cittadinanzattiva)
Active Citizenship Network (ACN) is the European and international interface of the Italian civic participation organisation, Cittadinanzattiva (Active Citizenship). ACN is a flexible network of European civic organizations that are involved as partners in its different projects, which encourages the active participation of citizens in European policymaking. ACN mirrors Cittadinanzattiva’s Italian policies, such as health, corporate social responsibility, education and training at the global level. ACN’s mission is to promote and support the construction of European citizenship as an “active citizenship”, which means the exercise of citizens’ powers and responsibilities in policymaking.
Funders
ILC’s work on adult immunisation has been supported over recent years by the following organisations:
Get in touch
To find out more about immunisation-related events, or to get in touch about immunisation and vaccination research, please contact: events@ilcuk.org.uk