Season's Greetings from the IFA!
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Greetings!
The vision of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) Adult Vaccination Project is a world where healthy ageing and functional ability of older people are maintained, and ill health is prevented through strong adult vaccination uptake rates.
The IFA aims to achieve this by working alongside stakeholders and mobilizing knowledge to key at-risk group organizations to place adult vaccination as a priority on their agenda.
This year, project partners have worked tirelessly with the IFA, bringing us closer to our goal of improving vaccination uptake rates. Through collaborations ranging from expert meetings to consensus statements to newsletters, the IFA has been able to grow this project considerably in 2018, positioning ourselves as a first point of contact for information and knowledge sharing on vaccination.
In 2019, the IFA endeavours to expand collaborations with diverse stakeholders, mobilizing knowledge about adult vaccination, building the World Coalition on Adult Vaccination, partnering to improve vaccination uptake rates and working to safeguard the functional ability of those most at-risk from vaccine-preventable diseases.
In appreciation,
Dr Jane Barratt, Ms Megan Acton and Ms Jessica Rochman-Fowler
(The IFA Adult Vaccination Team)
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Adult Vaccination in the Asia Pacific: Mobilising Policy and Practice Knowledge
22-23 January 2019
Singapore
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Fighting the Flu through Targeted Awareness Campaigns
30-31 January 2019
Berlin, Germany
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"Adult Vaccination:
A Public Health Priority" Expert Meeting
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The International Federation on Ageing (IFA), in collaboration with Ældre Sagen, convened the Adult Vaccination: A Public Health Priority expert meeting on 16-17 January 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
This international, high-level knowledge exchange platform aimed to highlight vaccination activities of countries in the Nordic region, and to promote dialogue among various stakeholders on how best to improve adult vaccination uptake rates nationally and regionally.
The discussion also focused on how best to bring vaccination to the forefront of the agendas of patient organizations, and come together to emphasize the combined impact of vaccine-preventable diseases on people with comorbid conditions.
Each delegate brought to the table a unique perspective of the role of vaccination as part of healthy ageing, and of their role in enhancing awareness, increasing uptake rates, and better understanding the complex barriers that allow vaccination uptake rates to stagnate while the ageing population increases.
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"Vaccination and the At-risk Population of Adults with Heart and Lung Conditions" Expert Meeting
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From 6-7 September 2018, the IFA convened a diverse group of experts in the fields of public health, diabetes, ageing, immunology and sociology for the “Vaccinations and the At-risk Adult Population of Diabetes” expert meeting.
The IFA brought “unlike” together with the aim to share knowledge and build capacity on the importance of adult vaccination for the at-risk population of diabetes and to determine optimal strategies to push the agenda forward.
From this meeting a
consensus statement
was formed, comprising a clear and purposeful declaration on the importance of vaccination for people with diabetes.
Further meeting outcomes expected to be completed in 2019 include the addition of adult vaccination to Clinician Guidelines produced by The European Diabetes Working Party for Older People (EDWOP), educational videos on adult vaccination for Diabetes UK, NI Support Groups and the possibility of a survey for Diabetes UK members to gain a better understanding of member views towards adult vaccination, and the barriers preventing them from being vaccinated.
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"Vaccination and the at-risk population of adults with heart and lung conditions" Expert Meeting
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“Vaccination and the at-risk population of adults with heart and lung conditions” was a recent IFA hosted meeting (11-12 October) in Sweden that brought together for the first time experts in the fields of public health, heart and lung conditions, ageing, immunization and bioethics.
An important take away message is that people with heart and lung disease are at significantly greater risk of death and disability from vaccine preventable diseases, a fact of which many are unaware. Urgent attention is needed to emphasize the necessary enabling factors for increasing the priority of adult vaccination within heart and lung organizations.
In early 2019, steps will be taken to engage with national and regional patient organizations, including the Swedish Heart and Lung Association and the European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients' Organization to build vaccination into patient education initiatives, including creating patient education videos and integrating discussion on vaccination into health coaching programs to improve patient awareness of the importance of vaccination.
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Joint Statements with Partner Organizations
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Adult Vaccination: A Critical Element to a Life Course Approach to Healthy Ageing for Adults with Diabetes
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14th Global Conference on Ageing
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Not Just for Kids:
Supporting Healthy Ageing Through Vaccination in At-Risk Groups
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This plenary session began with a presentation by
Dr Andrew Morris
on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a serious consequence of society's decades-long reliance on antibiotics. Dr Morris discussed how vaccines can play a role in reducing antibiotic use.
Following Dr Morris' presentation,
Dr Eva Polverino
and
Dr Mine Durusu Tanriover
examined the systemic, professional and personal barriers contributing to low vaccine uptake rates, the social and economic impacts of vaccine-preventable diseases on older people and people with respiratory conditions, and how improving uptake rates can contribute to healthy ageing.
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Prioritizing Adult Vaccination:
A Lunch Time Discussion
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This discussion mobilized experts to discuss vaccination initiatives both at and outside the Conference.
This working lunch also asked attendees to bring to the table ideas to raise the profile of life course vaccination in preparation for the IFA's 15th Global Conference in 2020.
The uniting of experts is a key part of the IFA's work on adult vaccination, underscoring the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in improving vaccination uptake rates.
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International Meetings & Presentations
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Pharmacy-based interventions to increase vaccine uptake
EICA Meeting
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Adult Immunisation as an
Integral Element of
Healthy Ageing Policy
Middle East Infectious Disease Conference
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Vaccines for Life:
IFA's Work on Adult Vaccination
Pfizer Meeting
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Beyond Influenza Vaccines in Older Adults
78th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
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Meeting of the International Council on Adult Immunisation
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Preventative Care, Adult Inoculation, A senior perspective
Market Access Summit
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Follow the IFA's work on adult vaccination
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