15th meeting of the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (ETAGE)

The 15th full meeting of the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (ETAGE) took place on 30 September to 1 October 2015 to review and discuss immunization activities and developments in the WHO European Region and provide advice to the WHO Regional Office on appropriate activities. Main topics for discussion included the feasibility and value of serosurveys in support of measles and rubella elimination; progress made and upcoming activities and challenges in switching from trivalent oral polio virus vaccine (tOPV) to bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) and the increased requirements for laboratory containment of poliovirus stocks; continuing medical education, communications and immunization advocacy; the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation framework of the European Vaccine Action Plan 2015-2020 and reporting on EVAP implementation to the Regional Committee in 2017 and 2021; Polio Outbreak Simulation Exercises (POSE); impact and future directions of the New and Underutilized Vaccines Initiative (NUVI) Surveillance Networks for rotavirus and invasive bacterial disease; the 2015 measles and rubella elimination goal and the protocol for reporting back to the Regional Committee; vaccine supply issues and the recent vaccine pricing study publication.