Diverse roles of Primary Health Care in COVID-19 vaccination across 28 European countries - Insights from the Eurodata study
Guisado-Clavero, M. ; Petrazzuoli, F. LU
and Lingner, H.
(2024)
In The European journal of general practice
30(1).
- Abstract
- 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... (More)
- 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.; Primary Health Care (PHC) professionals, especially nurses and General Practitioners, played a pivotal role in the effective distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe.PHC participated in communication strategies in some countries.Disparities in vaccine availability and prioritisation groups were found across Europe. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/532b4707-7257-40b2-8bf8-efcfa962a446
- author
- Guisado-Clavero, M.
; Petrazzuoli, F.
LU
and Lingner, H.
- author collaboration
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- COVID-19 vaccines, primary health care, vaccination coverage, vaccination program, vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccines, Europe, Humans, Immunization Programs, Primary Health Care, Retrospective Studies, SARS-CoV-2, Surveys and Questionnaires, Vaccination, Vaccination Coverage, SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, coronavirus disease 2019, human, organization and management, prevention and control, preventive health service, questionnaire, retrospective study, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, vaccination
- in
- The European journal of general practice
- volume
- 30
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 2409240
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85206968176
- pmid:39435869
- ISSN
- 1751-1402
- DOI
- 10.1080/13814788.2024.2409240
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 532b4707-7257-40b2-8bf8-efcfa962a446
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-29 14:44:59
- date last changed
- 2025-08-30 04:02:02
@article{532b4707-7257-40b2-8bf8-efcfa962a446,
abstract = {{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.; Primary Health Care (PHC) professionals, especially nurses and General Practitioners, played a pivotal role in the effective distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe.PHC participated in communication strategies in some countries.Disparities in vaccine availability and prioritisation groups were found across Europe.}},
author = {{Guisado-Clavero, M. and Petrazzuoli, F. and Lingner, H.}},
issn = {{1751-1402}},
keywords = {{COVID-19 vaccines; primary health care; vaccination coverage; vaccination program; vaccine hesitancy; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Europe; Humans; Immunization Programs; Primary Health Care; Retrospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vaccination; Vaccination Coverage; SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; coronavirus disease 2019; human; organization and management; prevention and control; preventive health service; questionnaire; retrospective study; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; vaccination}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{The European journal of general practice}},
title = {{Diverse roles of Primary Health Care in COVID-19 vaccination across 28 European countries - Insights from the Eurodata study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2024.2409240}},
doi = {{10.1080/13814788.2024.2409240}},
volume = {{30}},
year = {{2024}},
}