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Routine childhood vaccination is one of medicine's most effective tools — yet across Europe, uptake is slipping and once-controlled diseases are returning. Prioritizing Pediatric Vaccination brings together evidence, expert insight, and practical resources to help healthcare professionals, organizations, and policymakers understand what is driving the decline — and act on it.
Despite decades of progress, routine childhood immunization across Europe is losing ground. Confidence in vaccines is among the lowest in the world, coverage has stalled, and vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles have re-emerged in several countries. A survey of pediatric healthcare professionals and stakeholder organizations points to four realities behind the decline.
Parents face a flood of contradictory claims about vaccines and struggle to know which sources to trust. This confusion is the single biggest barrier professionals encounter.
Worries about safety and possible side effects weigh heavily on families' decisions, and are among the hardest concerns to resolve in a short consultation.
As once-common diseases fade from memory, some families question whether vaccination is still necessary, underestimating how quickly preventable diseases can return.
Scheduling, access, and administrative hurdles cause children to fall behind, and getting back on track is not always straightforward.
To understand what is driving declining uptake, the Excellence in Pediatrics Institute surveyed pediatric healthcare professionals and stakeholder organizations across Europe. The findings point to a consistent story: the greatest barriers are confusion and safety concerns rather than outright refusal; healthcare professionals remain the most trusted and influential messengers on vaccination; and clear, safety-focused communication delivered through the right channels is the most promising path to rebuilding confidence. The full report sets out the evidence and what it means for practice and policy.
Explore ResourcesWhere Action is Needed Most
Counter misinformation with clear, consistent, evidence-based communication that helps families make informed decisions and rebuilds trust where it has eroded.
Healthcare professionals are the most trusted voice on vaccination. Equipping them with practical tools, training, and guidance has the greatest potential to move families to act.
Messages that speak directly to vaccine safety and effectiveness resonate most with parents. Framing communication around what matters to families makes it far more likely to land.
Reach parents through the channels they actually use — social media and public awareness efforts foremost — to cut through noise and counter misinformation at its source.
Reduce practical and administrative barriers so every child can receive recommended vaccines on time, with clear catch-up pathways for those who fall behind.
Use real-world evidence and frontline experience to strengthen immunization strategies and support decisions that protect children across Europe.
Explore policy briefings, expert interviews, reports, and the survey materials behind this campaign — practical, evidence-based resources from the LifeCourse Prevention Initiative
One-page visual summary of the EIP–Pfizer survey: the top barriers to routine childhood vaccination in Europe and the solutions most likely to help.
The full EIP–Pfizer survey deck: how 106 European respondents rank the barriers to routine paediatric vaccination and the solutions that work.
A parent-friendly checklist of 10 questions to ask your paediatrician about vaccine safety, schedules and protection at your child’s next visit.
Why vaccine misinformation and parental confusion are disrupting routine childhood immunisation in Europe — with survey data and expert insight.