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Eur J Gen Pract
. 2024 Dec;30(1):2409240.
doi: 10.1080/13814788.2024.2409240. Epub 2024 Oct 22. Diverse roles of Primary Health Care in COVID-19 vaccination across 28 European countries - Insights from the Eurodata study
Marina Guisado-Clavero 1 , Raquel Gómez-Bravo 2 3 , Ileana Gefaell Larrondo 4 , Lourdes Ramos Del Rio 5 , Louise Fitzgerald 6 , Shlomo Vinker 7 , Bert Vaes 8 , Georgi Tsigarovski 9 , Péter Torzsa 10 , Gunta Ticmane 11 , Theresa Sentker 12 , Alice Serafini 13 , Martin Sattler 14 , Sven Streit 15 , Goranka Petricek 16 , Ferdinando Petrazzuoli 17 , Davorina Petek 18 , Ábel Perjés 10 , Nagu Penakacherla 19 , Oliver Senn 20 , Ana Luisa Neves 21 22 , Katarzyna Nessler 23 , Liubovė Murauskienė 24 , Jöel Mossong 25 , Liga Kozlovska 26 , Anna Segernäs 27 , Anna Krztoń-Królewiecka 28 , Milena Kostić 29 , Erva Kırkoç Üçüncü 30 , Büsra Çimen Korkmaz 31 , Snežana Knežević 32 , Marijana Jandrić-Kočić 33 , Lisa Kastbom 27 , Ivanna Shushman 34 , Oxana Ilkov 34 , Kathryn Hoffmann 35 , Bruno Heleno 36 , Miroslav Hanževački 16 , Dragan Gjorgjievski 37 , Sabine Feldman 38 , Philippe-Richard Domeyer 39 , Maryher Delphin Peña 40 , Asja Ćosić Divjak 41 , Iliana-Carmen Busneag 42 , Elena Brutskaya-Stempkovskaya 43 , Sherihane Bensemmane 44 , Sabine Bayen 45 , Maria Bakola 46 , Limor Adler 7 , Radost Assenova 47 , Sara Ares-Blanco 4 48 , María Pilar Astier-Peña 49 50 51 52 , Heidrun Lingner 53
Affiliations
Background: The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in several European countries involved collaboration between public health and Primary Health Care (PHC).
Objective: To highlight the role of PHC professionals in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, specifically in terms of vaccine administration, communication and contributing to vaccination population coverage.
Methods: A descriptive retrospective study of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign across 28 European countries was conducted, covering data from December 2020 to November 2021. Data were collected by key informants recruited from each country, who were health professionals involved in their national vaccination campaigns. Utilising an ad-hoc semi-structured questionnaire, information was gathered on organisation, communication strategies, priority groups, vaccine types, and vaccination pathways in PHC.
Results: PHC participated in communication strategies in 10 out of 28 countries, and vaccination was voluntary in most of them. The priority groups for vaccination varied across Europe, and the availability of vaccines in PHC differed between countries within the European Union (EU) and non-EU countries. The BioNTech Pfizer vaccine was the most widely available vaccine in most countries, followed by Moderna and AstraZeneca. PHC administered COVID-19 vaccines to the population, being the nurses the most involved, followed by general practitioners. Vaccination appointments were available online in 18/28 or by phone in 15/28, direct appointments at health centres were available in 8/28. In several countries, healthcare professionals who administered vaccines were given extra compensation for their role.
Conclusion: PHC professionals played a crucial role in the successful distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in European countries.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; primary health care; vaccination coverage; vaccination program; vaccine hesitancy.
. 2024 Dec;30(1):2409240.
doi: 10.1080/13814788.2024.2409240. Epub 2024 Oct 22. Diverse roles of Primary Health Care in COVID-19 vaccination across 28 European countries - Insights from the Eurodata study
Marina Guisado-Clavero 1 , Raquel Gómez-Bravo 2 3 , Ileana Gefaell Larrondo 4 , Lourdes Ramos Del Rio 5 , Louise Fitzgerald 6 , Shlomo Vinker 7 , Bert Vaes 8 , Georgi Tsigarovski 9 , Péter Torzsa 10 , Gunta Ticmane 11 , Theresa Sentker 12 , Alice Serafini 13 , Martin Sattler 14 , Sven Streit 15 , Goranka Petricek 16 , Ferdinando Petrazzuoli 17 , Davorina Petek 18 , Ábel Perjés 10 , Nagu Penakacherla 19 , Oliver Senn 20 , Ana Luisa Neves 21 22 , Katarzyna Nessler 23 , Liubovė Murauskienė 24 , Jöel Mossong 25 , Liga Kozlovska 26 , Anna Segernäs 27 , Anna Krztoń-Królewiecka 28 , Milena Kostić 29 , Erva Kırkoç Üçüncü 30 , Büsra Çimen Korkmaz 31 , Snežana Knežević 32 , Marijana Jandrić-Kočić 33 , Lisa Kastbom 27 , Ivanna Shushman 34 , Oxana Ilkov 34 , Kathryn Hoffmann 35 , Bruno Heleno 36 , Miroslav Hanževački 16 , Dragan Gjorgjievski 37 , Sabine Feldman 38 , Philippe-Richard Domeyer 39 , Maryher Delphin Peña 40 , Asja Ćosić Divjak 41 , Iliana-Carmen Busneag 42 , Elena Brutskaya-Stempkovskaya 43 , Sherihane Bensemmane 44 , Sabine Bayen 45 , Maria Bakola 46 , Limor Adler 7 , Radost Assenova 47 , Sara Ares-Blanco 4 48 , María Pilar Astier-Peña 49 50 51 52 , Heidrun Lingner 53
Affiliations
- PMID: 39435869
- PMCID: PMC11497572
- DOI: 10.1080/13814788.2024.2409240
Background: The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in several European countries involved collaboration between public health and Primary Health Care (PHC).
Objective: To highlight the role of PHC professionals in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, specifically in terms of vaccine administration, communication and contributing to vaccination population coverage.
Methods: A descriptive retrospective study of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign across 28 European countries was conducted, covering data from December 2020 to November 2021. Data were collected by key informants recruited from each country, who were health professionals involved in their national vaccination campaigns. Utilising an ad-hoc semi-structured questionnaire, information was gathered on organisation, communication strategies, priority groups, vaccine types, and vaccination pathways in PHC.
Results: PHC participated in communication strategies in 10 out of 28 countries, and vaccination was voluntary in most of them. The priority groups for vaccination varied across Europe, and the availability of vaccines in PHC differed between countries within the European Union (EU) and non-EU countries. The BioNTech Pfizer vaccine was the most widely available vaccine in most countries, followed by Moderna and AstraZeneca. PHC administered COVID-19 vaccines to the population, being the nurses the most involved, followed by general practitioners. Vaccination appointments were available online in 18/28 or by phone in 15/28, direct appointments at health centres were available in 8/28. In several countries, healthcare professionals who administered vaccines were given extra compensation for their role.
Conclusion: PHC professionals played a crucial role in the successful distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in European countries.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; primary health care; vaccination coverage; vaccination program; vaccine hesitancy.