For more information, visit : www.promovax.eu, or contact: e.patrozou@prolepsis.gr, d.zota@prolepsis.gr

Summary

PROMOVAX is a 3-year EU-funded project aiming to promote immunizations among migrants in Europe. The project consortium includes associated partners from 8 European countries and collaborating partners from 11 countries.

Introduction

The prevalence of VPDs varies throughout the world depending on the vaccine coverage rates.

Migrants may import VPDs into the countries of the EU, where secondary spread may occur if vaccine coverage levels are sub-optimal.

Surveillance systems that record migration status are essential in order to estimate the burden of VPDs among migrants.

Legislation and sustainable policies which can be effectively applied into practice are solely needed in order to guide migrant immunizations in the European countries.

Methodology

1. Critical analysis of existing data

2. Guided literature review

3. Interviews with experts and the relevant authorities

4. Assessment of best practices through a purpose made assessment tool

5. Development of a health provider toolkit and educational material for migrants, with the participation and input of experts, as well as all target groups.

Specific objectives:

Migration into and within Europe has implications for public health. Migrants and other mobile populations are increasingly related to individual cases or small outbreaks of imported vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) with local transmission to the developed world.

When compared with the host population, migrants face higher risks of poverty and ill health. In part this is related to the higher prevalence of specific infections in the countries from which they originate and the lower rates of immunization coverage in these countries.

Additionally, risks stem from the migration process itself, which can entail adverse living and working conditions, as well as social exclusion.

The project is organized in 6 Work Packages (WPs). The main partner (PROLEPSIS, Greece) coordinates the operational framework (WP1) and dissemination (WP2). The project is evaluated through the dedicated WP3 (SINTEF, Norway).

Results of WP4

The burden of VPDs in migrant populations in the EU is unclear due to lack of

surveillance systems that record migration status.

Most of the partner countries have no specific legislations and regulations guiding migrant immunizations nor specific immunization requirements for working migrants based on field of occupation. No national body is commonly assigned with the responsibility of monitoring and administering immunizations to migrants in particular.

Language is a known communication barrier, however in most countries interpretation services are not widely available. Only half of the partner countries address the language barrier by means of health education/promotion leaflets.

Currently, PROMOVAX is identifying best practices on migrant immunizations .

Patrozou E.1,2 , Paisi M.3, Zota D.1, Linos A. 1,4, for the PROMOVAX network1 Institute of Preventive Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Greece,

2 Brown University, USA, 3 Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health in association with Harvard School

of Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus,4 Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

Management

Conclusions

This poster arises from the project “PROMOVAX" which has received funding from the European Union in the framework of

the Health Programme 2008 – 2013.

General objective:

PartnershipMain Partner: Institute of Preventive Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Prolepsis –

Greece

Associated Partners Collaborating Partners

• TechnischeUniversität Dresden - Germany• UniversitàdegliStudi di Sassari - Italy• The SINTEF Foundation - Norway• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine - Poland• University of Zagreb, Medical School - Croatia• Research Unit in Behaviour and Social Issues (RUBSI) - Cyprus• University of Pécs - Hungary• UniversitàdegliStudi di Milano - Italy• IstitutoSuperiore di Sanità - Italy• Cyprus University of Technology - Cyprus

• Public Health Institute - Albania• Baskent University - Turkey• Hospital de Sabadell. ConsorciHospitalariParcTaulí. UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona - Spain• Institute of Occupational Health - Serbia• WHO/Europe Occupational Health, Bonn - Germany• WHO/Europe Communicable Disease Units, Copenhagen - Denmark• Alpert Medical School of Brown University - USA• International Organization for Migration (IOM), Migration Health Division (MHD)• Institute of Epidemiology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health - Greece• National School of health. Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Ministry of Science and Innovation - Spain• European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - Sweden• National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) - Bulgaria