European Parliament Roundtable Recap: Building Trust, Breaking Barriers — Tackling Vaccine Hesitancy for a Healthier Europe

Paul Njitack
Jul 29
3 min read

On June 10, 2025, the Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA), in collaboration with PATH and under the patronage of MEP Nicolás González Casares (S&D), hosted a high-level roundtable at the European Parliament titled “Building Trust, Breaking Barriers: Tackling Vaccine Hesitancy for a Healthier Europe.” The event gathered over 20 stakeholders—including MEPs, EU policymakers, civil society organisations (CSOs), researchers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs)—to address the complex drivers of vaccine hesitancy and explore cross-sector strategies for rebuilding public trust.

Key Topics Discussed:

Multidimensional drivers of vaccine hesitancy in Europe
New data from the Vaccine Confidence Index and implications for EU health policy
Community-driven strategies to combat misinformation
Strengthening EU-civil society partnerships for health equity

Speakers Included:

Dr. Milka Sokolović, Director General, European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
Prof. Paolo Palma, Co-Scientific Director, Vaccinopolis, University of Rome
Greta Hendrickx, Senior Project Coordinator, University of Antwerp (CONFIVAX)
Eloise Todd, Co-Founder, Pandemic Advocacy Network (PAN)
Dr. Alberto Cagigi, Director of Policy, International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
Willo Brock, Senior Advisor, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
Malcolm Taylor, Coalition for Life Course Immunisation (CLCI)
Prof. Vytautas Usonis, University of Vilnius and CLCI
Darija Kuruc Poje, AMR Commission, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
Samuel Olagoke, European Medical Students' Association (EMSA)
Gary Finnegan, Editor, Vaccines Today

Highlights & Takeaways

Vaccine Hesitancy as a Crisis of Trust — Dr. Sokolović

Dr. Sokolović underscored that vaccine hesitancy stems from eroded trust, not mere misinformation. She advocated for strategies rooted in Equity, Empathy, and Evidence, emphasizing the need to listen to public concerns, fund CSOs, and develop culturally sensitive communications.

“People aren’t only misinformed. They’re unheard. Vaccine strategies must begin by listening.”

Inclusive Vaccine Strategies — Prof. Paolo Palma

Prof. Palma called for inclusive vaccine research and proposed establishing vaccine centres within hospitals to foster direct, human dialogue. He stressed that vulnerable groups must not remain an afterthought in vaccination efforts.

“Vaccination needs trusted and human communication. Vulnerable populations must no longer be an afterthought.”

Tackling Digital Misinformation — Greta Hendrickx

Hendrickx presented findings from a collaborative project with the Vaccine Confidence Project. She emphasized the need for strengthening HCP communication skills and deploying proactive social media strategies to counter misinformation.

“Vaccines don’t save lives. Vaccination does.”

Civil Society as a Force Multiplier — Eloise Todd

Todd highlighted CSOs’ pivotal role during COVID-19 and urged sustained investment in civil society networks to ensure post-pandemic engagement, especially in marginalized communities.

From Access to Acceptance — Dr. Alberto Cagigi

Dr. Cagigi stressed that ensuring vaccine access is not enough. He advocated for genuine dialogue with hesitant groups and drew parallels to community engagement strategies used during the AIDS crisis.

Balancing Speed and Trust — Willo Brock

Brock discussed CEPI’s “100 Days Mission” for rapid vaccine development and stressed the need for transparent communication about vaccine safety.

“We must humanize science through storytelling and open vaccine facility tours.”

Life-Course Immunisation — Malcolm Taylor & Prof. Vytautas Usonis

Both speakers called for embedding vaccination into life-long health strategies. Taylor advocated empowering CSOs and patient groups to push for adult vaccine access, while Prof. Usonis emphasized practical integration of vaccination in overall health documentation.

Empowering Pharmacists — Darija Kuruc Poje

Poje highlighted that pharmacists are often the most accessible health professionals and must be equipped with training and policy support to act as frontline vaccine communicators.

Engaging Youth as Change Agents — Samuel Olagoke

Olagoke stressed the need to involve medical students and young health professionals in EU-wide efforts to promote vaccine confidence, especially in digital spaces where misinformation thrives.

Supporting Journalism — Gary Finnegan

Finnegan called for better access to reliable experts for journalists, emphasizing that EU-level infrastructure is needed to sustain evidence-based health journalism.

Key Stats

Participants: 20+ stakeholders from EU institutions, CSOs, and academia
Geographic Reach: European Union Member States
Themes: Vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, community engagement, life-course immunisation

Looking Ahead

IDA will pursue the following actions to sustain momentum:

Dissemination of the Call to Action on Vaccine Hesitancy
Publishing the event recording and summary materials
Preparing joint publications like the Vaccine Confidence Booklet and contributions to the Nature Commission
Facilitating multi-stakeholder collaborations for ongoing policy engagement

Call to Action

IDA urges all stakeholders to:

Embed life-course immunisation into EU and national health strategies
Combat misinformation with coordinated EU-wide digital campaigns
Empower civil society organisations with sustainable funding
Strengthen the role of healthcare providers, educators, and journalists in vaccine communication
Enhance monitoring of vaccine confidence and misinformation trends across Member States