Engaging the public to break down vaccine hesitancy in Europe

Thursday 31 July 2025

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination campaigns remain highly uneven across European countries, and vaccine hesitancy against the virus persists throughout the continent. This is a complex challenge that requires further research on citizens, healthcare professionals, and local governments, with findings needing to be shared across borders.

The coOPERATOR project was established to address this need by understanding how COVID-19 vaccines are promoted and what leads to vaccine hesitancy in selected European countries and among key stakeholders. The information gathered will be compiled into a virtual observatory and comprehensive training systems designed to orient and inform future policies.

Specifically, coOPERATOR focuses on five European countries—Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Portugal—to collect detailed information on vaccine hesitancy and campaign effectiveness. It utilises theoretical frameworks from behavioural sciences, such as the COM-B and 7C models. The project will map the unique individual needs of each country, identifying how vaccination campaigns can be communicated more effectively to the public.

On the 23rd and 24th July 2025, our dedicated coOPERATOR consortium gathered in Palermo, Italy, at the CESIE ETS headquarters, to discuss the current state of vaccine hesitancy in Europe and plan the project’s next crucial steps.

The productive discussions confirmed two main action points: the launch of a major national survey and a focused strategy for communication and data dissemination.

Launching the national deep-data survey

A central pillar of the coOPERATOR project is the upcoming national survey, scheduled for launch in September 2025. This survey will ask the general population to share their feelings, past experiences, and future choices regarding vaccines against COVID-19 and influenza. This is a vital opportunity for citizens to contribute directly to shaping future medical communication and policy.

The consortium is dedicated to being diligent in understanding all barriers to vaccines, meaning the survey has become comprehensive—approximately 20 minutes long. We ask that when the time comes, you please dedicate the time required. The data gathered is immensely important for understanding the public’s relationship with vaccines and for developing effective improvements in medical communication.

From findings to impact

The second key topic was communication. Over the last two years, the coOPERATOR team has successfully organised policy labs and collected incredible data on vaccine hesitancy across the focus countries. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in this initial phase.

The current phase is centred on translating these complex data findings into interesting, engaging, and easily communicable public content. Over the next year, our team will work especially hard at turning the data into accessible formats, including infographics, videos, social media posts, podcasts, and more.

Preparing for the Policy Making Lab and future action

This project will culminate in a coOPERATOR Policy Making Lab, which will gather all our data and translate the findings for stakeholders. This will take the form of vital training materials for the health sector and concrete policy definition suggestions. We encourage you to follow our progress closely as we transition from data collection to widespread communication and policy guidance.