Vaccine hesitancy represents one of the most complex challenges for public health, as it involves health, social, cultural and communication aspects. To tackle this, it is essential to develop strategies capable of addressing people’s real needs, by promoting clear, accessible communication based on scientific evidence.
coOPERATOR stems from this need; it is an initiative that aims to strengthen trust in vaccines through a participatory and multidisciplinary approach. The aim is to contribute to the development of more effective communication campaigns, capable of meeting the needs of citizens and healthcare professionals and of fostering greater awareness of prevention issues.
At the heart of coOPERATOR lies the creation of a virtual digital observatory, a tool designed to collect, organise and link together needs, experiences and best practices from various European Union Member States, including Italy. The observatory will make it possible to identify the specific needs of different national contexts and to support the development of increasingly targeted communication strategies.
Through the observatory, it will be possible to map the needs of citizens and healthcare professionals, whilst at the same time facilitating the exchange of experiences and solutions useful for tackling the challenges associated with vaccine communication across different European countries.
To support this process, established behavioural models such as COM-B and 7C are used, which help to understand the factors influencing vaccination-related behaviours. These models provide an important framework for developing communication strategies based on an analysis of people’s needs and motivations.
A central role is also played by the approach that emphasises the direct involvement of stakeholders. Between 2025 and 2026, focus groups were organised involving members of the public, doctors and policy-makers, with the aim of gathering perspectives, experiences and needs useful for building the virtual observatory.
This participatory process enables the development of tools that arise from listening and dialogue, helping to better understand the diverse local contexts and the challenges that characterise communication on vaccination.
The consortium, led by the Cyprus University of Technology, is developing an innovative observatory that integrates behavioural sciences and advanced technologies. The aim is to help overcome the socio-cultural barriers that can influence trust in vaccines and to facilitate the development of increasingly effective communication strategies.
Encouraging informed decisions means creating the conditions for a dialogue based on listening, knowledge and collaboration. coOPERATOR contributes to this process by developing tools that put people at the centre and promote increasingly effective communication about vaccination.
Would you like to find out more? Read about coOPERATOR or visit the website. or contact Ritti Soncco: ritti.soncco@cesie.org
About coOPERATOR
coOPERATOR – Developing a Country-Observatory for sharing best practises for vaccination promotion is funded by EU4Health programme.
Partners
- ACN Associazione CittadinanzAttiva Onlus (Italy)
- Technologiko Panepistimio Kyprou (Cyprus, coordinator)
- European Public Health Alliance (Belgium)
- CSI Center for Social Innovation Ltd (Cyprus)
- Ministerio da Saude – Republica Portuguesa (Portugal)
- Università di Pisa (Italy)
- Computer Solutions SA (Greece)
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
For further information
Contact Ritti Soncco ritti.soncco@cesie.org
