SOURCE: Vaccines Today<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018A European Vaccination Card will enable informed vaccination, according to experts working on the EUVABECO project. Latvia, Greece, Belgium, Germany and Portugal will pilot the new tool from September.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite decades of awareness, zoonotic diseases \u2013 those transmitted from animals to humans \u2013 continue to pose a significant threat to global health<\/a>.[1]<\/a><\/sup> In the face of the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, our global lack of preparedness for such outbreaks became starkly apparent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it also sparked a surge of innovation, leading to the rapid deployment of multidisciplinary approaches and new technologies that helped us understand, treat, and protect against the virus<\/a>, ultimately bringing the crisis under control.[2]<\/a><\/sup> These innovations included new medicinal products, such as vaccines, as well as advanced tools like those for modelling and forecasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Europe transitions from emergency measures to long-term COVID-19 management, there is a critical opportunity to strengthen resilience and increase preparedness for future health threats. The European Vaccination Beyond COVID-19 (EUVABECO<\/a>) project seeks to leverage this momentum by initiating pilot projects to develop and test implementation plans for tools that support both routine and crisis vaccination practices.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n One key tool that EUVABECO will introduce is the European Vaccination Card (EVC<\/a>).[4]<\/a><\/sup> Scheduled for launch in September 2024, the EVC will initially be piloted in five pilot countries: Latvia, Greece, Belgium, Germany, and Portugal. The card aims to empower individuals by consolidating all their vaccination data in one easily accessible location. It will be available in various formats, including printed cards, mailed copies, and digital versions for smartphones<\/a>.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\nIntroducing the European Vaccination Card<\/h2>\n\n\n\n