Digital Innovation in Immunisation Programmes and Policies

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 7581

Special Issue Editor

Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, PV, Italy
Interests: public health; epidemiology; prevention; vaccines; immunisation policies; information and communication technology, digital health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our great pleasure to present to you the Vaccines Special Issue “Digital Innovation in Vaccines, Immunisation Programmes and Policies”. As we all know, there is global consensus on the need to strengthen immunisation policies, support the delivery of effective and efficient immunisation programmes and contrast vaccine hesitancy, identified by the World Health Organisation as one of the ten global health threats. In a time when digitalisation is revolutionising healthcare systems, it is of crucial importance to exploit the potentialities offered by digital solutions to enhance immunisation programmes and ultimately increase vaccine uptake. The aim of this Special issue is to collect and showcase high-level research outputs in the field of digital health applied to vaccine-preventable disease control from a broad perspective. We value studies focusing on all components of immunisation programmes, from health education and communication, to the organisation and monitoring of immunisation services that consider the planning, use, and impact of digital solutions, including, but not limited to: digital information systems, social media, smartphone applications,  decision support tools, mobile and geospatial technologies, artificial intelligence and big data. We welcome original research (full articles and short reports), narrative and systematic reviews and commentaries. Other article types might be considered depending on topic and quality. Special attention will be paid to innovative insights and multidisciplinary approaches to public health in the digital era, applied to the field of vaccine-preventable disease control.

We very much look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Anna Odone
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vaccines
  • immunisation
  • vaccination policies
  • digitalisation
  • information and communication technology (ICT)
  • new media

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
Austria’s Digital Vaccination Registry: Stakeholder Views and Implications for Governance
by Katharina T. Paul, Anna Janny and Katharina Riesinger
Vaccines 2021, 9(12), 1495; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9121495 - 17 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2310
Abstract
In this study, we explore the recent setup of a digital vaccination record in Austria. Working from a social-scientific perspective, we find that the introduction of the electronic vaccination pass was substantially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our interviews with key stakeholders ( [...] Read more.
In this study, we explore the recent setup of a digital vaccination record in Austria. Working from a social-scientific perspective, we find that the introduction of the electronic vaccination pass was substantially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our interviews with key stakeholders (n = 16) indicated that three main factors drove this acceleration. The pandemic (1) sidelined historical conflicts regarding data ownership and invoked a shared sense of the value of data, (2) accentuated the need for enhanced administrative efficiency in an institutionally fragmented system, and (3) helped invoke the national vaccination registry as an indispensable infrastructure for public health governance with the potential to innovate its healthcare system in the long term. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Innovation in Immunisation Programmes and Policies)
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17 pages, 1434 KiB  
Article
The Use of Digital Technologies to Support Vaccination Programmes in Europe: State of the Art and Best Practices from Experts’ Interviews
by Anna Odone, Vincenza Gianfredi, Sebastiano Sorbello, Michele Capraro, Beatrice Frascella, Giacomo Pietro Vigezzi and Carlo Signorelli
Vaccines 2021, 9(10), 1126; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9101126 - 03 Oct 2021
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4547
Abstract
Digitalisation offers great potential to improve vaccine uptake, supporting the need for effective life-course immunisation services. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with public health experts from 10 Western European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the United [...] Read more.
Digitalisation offers great potential to improve vaccine uptake, supporting the need for effective life-course immunisation services. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with public health experts from 10 Western European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom) to assess the current level of digitalisation in immunisation programmes and retrieve data on interventions and best practices. Interviews were performed using an ad hoc questionnaire, piloted on a sample of national experts. We report a mixed level of digital technologies deployment within vaccination services across Europe: Some countries are currently developing eHealth strategies, while others have already put in place robust programmes. Institutional websites, educational videos, and electronic immunisation records are the most frequently adopted digital tools. Webinars and dashboards represent valuable resources to train and support healthcare professionals in immunisation services organisation. Text messages, email-based communication, and smartphone apps use is scattered across Europe. The main reported barrier to the implementation of digital-based programmes is the lack of resources and shared standards. Our study offers a comprehensive picture of the European context and shows the need for robust collaboration between states and international institutions to share best practices and inform the planning of digital intervention models with the aim of countering vaccine hesitancy and increasing vaccine uptake. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Innovation in Immunisation Programmes and Policies)
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