Vaccines work. Now we need to know which ones, where, and why

European Immunisation Week 2026 runs from 19 to 25 April, marking the campaign's 20th anniversary under the theme "For every generation, vaccines work." The WHO European Region uses this annual moment to promote awareness of the role immunisation plays in preventing diseases and protecting life, highlighting how vaccines have safely protected people, families, and communities across generations, and equipping health workers and the public with the tools and understanding needed to make confident, informed immunisation decisions.

19 - 25 April 2026

At its core, the campaign reinforces a simple truth: vaccines work, and the shared responsibility to protect future generations depends on continued investment, research, and equitable access. That responsibility extends beyond childhood immunisation schedules. As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emerges as one of the defining health threats of our time, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are increasingly recognised as frontline tools, not just for preventing disease, but for reducing our collective dependence on antibiotics.

Turning that recognition into action, however, requires knowing which interventions to prioritise, where, and for whom. That is precisely the challenge the PrIMAVeRa consortium, led by EVI, is addressing.

On 19 April, organised by European Vaccine Initiative (EVI), Institute of Health Carlos III and ECRAID, the PrIMAVeRa consortium convened a stakeholder meeting in Munich, bringing together policymakers, vaccine and mAb developers, public health professionals, and researchers to shape a pioneering open-access decision-support platform designed to prioritise vaccines and mAbs in the fight against AMR. The session featured modelling approaches to estimate their impact, a live demonstration of the prototype AMR dashboard, and structured feedback discussions ahead of the platform's final release.

“The involvement of stakeholders through our stakeholder meetings has been essential in shaping the platform, ensuring it responds to real-world needs and supports meaningful, data-driven decisions to address antimicrobial resistance for policymakers, funders and industry.” – Dr Irina Meln, EVI’s Head of Innovation and PrIMAVeRa project coordinator.

PrIMAVeRa (Predicting the Impact of Monoclonal Antibodies & Vaccines on Antimicrobial Resistance) is a European public–private initiative building an open-access platform integrating clinical, epidemiological, and health economic data to support smarter, evidence-based investment in immunisation tools against AMR.

European Immunisation Week reminds us that the benefits of vaccines are not accidental, they are the result of decades of science, collaboration, and political commitment. Ensuring those benefits reach every generation.

This work has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 101034420 (PrIMAVeRa). This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.  www.imi.europa.eu. This communication reflects the author's view and neither IMI nor the European Union, EFPIA, or any Associated Partners are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.

Images: World Health Organization (WHO)