Call for proposals to support Member States and other relevant actors to implement relevant results of innovative public health research in relation to vaccination against COVID-19

Background and policy context

The COVID-19 pandemic created a need for fast vaccination of entire populations in Member States, which was a challenge of historic dimensions for many countries, as it required a multitude of steps to be taken successfully. These range from the design of vaccination plans, to the set-up of appropriate infrastructure and easily accessible, sufficiently resourced vaccination services, to communication and outreach activities to ensure high uptake of the vaccines, including activities to address vaccine hesitancy and disinformation on related risks.

The novelty of the vaccines to be administered and the pandemic context made the task even more demanding. Hence, there is a need to gain efficiency and develop strategies in terms of large-scale vaccination for other diseases as well. Large-scale vaccination could contribute to enhanced catch-up vaccination in the context of routine vaccination programmes rolled out in the Member States that may have been interrupted or delayed during the COVID-19 health crisis.

This action supports the policy priority to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and implements the EU4Health Programme’s general objective of protecting people in the Union from serious cross-border threats to health (Article 3, point (b)) through the specific objectives defined in Article 4, points (a) and (b), of Regulation (EU) 2021/522.

Objectives pursued

The action aims to support Member States and relevant stakeholders to implement the results of recent and relevant research in relation to vaccination against COVID-19.

Description of the activities to be funded under this topic

The action should cover:

a) mapping public health evidence and research results on COVID-19 large-scale vaccination that could be relevant for uptake, including findings, from Member States and outside of the Union;

b) identifying challenges and assess the feasibility to implement solutions in Member States, based on the mapping and taking country-specific factors into account;

c) developing implementation plans and pilot activities to respond to the current pandemic context or future health crises, or to optimise current routine vaccination practices, including catch-up vaccination;

d) implementing the pilot activities in volunteering Member States including the activities identified as potentially most effective (e.g. training programmes for health professionals, awareness-raising campaigns to tackle vaccine hesitancy, health preparedness training programmes, infrastructure initiatives, dedicated events for the exchange of good practices, risk communication and community engagement etc.);

e) identifying successful pilot activities and, based on these, develop a robust sustainability plan for continued implementation and toolkits and recommendations for upscaling in other Member States.

Expected results and impact

The action is expected to deliver an inventory of relevant innovative public health research on COVID-19 large-scale vaccination and implement plans in relevant Member States taking into account feasibility and country specific factors. This will result, based on pilot projects implemented in several Member States and, after assessment, in the development of sustainability plans and toolkits and recommendations.

Specific mandatory deliverables and/or milestones

These activities are expected to increase efficiency in terms of large-scale vaccination, making the best possible use of research results to increase uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and/or other vaccines covered by routine vaccination programmes.

A project funded under this topic shall include at least the following deliverables, but must not be limited to thoose:

• Mapping public health evidence and research results on COVID-19 large-scale vaccination (point a above) - This should be a deliverable early in the project;
• Implementation report from the pilot action (point D above);

Sustainability plan for continued implementation and toolkits and recommendations for upscaling in other Member States (point E above)

Specific action-level indicators for reporting purposes

Applicants shall collect data on the following specific action-level indicators in their regular reporting activities in case of award:

• Number of items (evidence and research results) mapped
• Number of outcomes (analysis, reports, recommendations) produced on the basis of the information identified by the mapping
• Number of Member States implementing solutions and recommendations produced on the basis of the information identified by the mapping
• Number of implementation plans produced
• Number of pilot activities initiated
• Number of Member States participating to pilot activities
• Number of pilot projects considered successful for upscaling
• Number of sustainability plan, toolkits and recommendations for upscaling pilot projects in all MS
• number of MS and/or Regions, which gave a commitment to the further implementation and uptake

The applicants are required to include in their proposals additional specific action-level indicators which will be agreed with the Commission during the grant agreement preparation.

The Commission may require the awardees to collect data for additional specific action-level indicators, where needed to complement the above indicators.