European Immunization Week is an initiative covering the WHO European Region, led and coordinated by WHO/Europe. A range of partners, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), supports it.

While a dramatic decrease in cases of vaccine-preventable diseases has made many contagious diseases a thing of the past for most people in the Region, these diseases continue to cause illness, disability and even death. More than half a million children in the Region do not receive basic vaccination. All countries have vulnerable or hard-to-reach unimmunized groups, and outbreaks of infectious diseases continue to occur.

The Week's core message is: prevent, protect, immunize.

Activities

During European Immunization Week, countries take action to inform key target groups and involve them in immunization. These may include:

1. for parents and other carers, organizing events, such as theatre or sports events, to highlight key messages; disseminating information materials; organizing outreach activities or immunization campaigns for hard-to-reach groups; and drawing the mass media's attention to key issues;
2. for health care professionals, organizing training and disseminating information on providing advice to parents;
3. for policy- and decision-makers, arranging workshops to discuss the challenges and benefits of immunization and developing information material that gives relevant data and cost estimates for immunization.