European Economic
and Social Committee
Vaccine preventable cancers
Background
The number of cancer cases and cancer-related deaths across the EU is rising at an alarming rate. The EESC has welcomed the European Commission’s proposal for a Council Recommendation on vaccine-preventable cancers as a follow-up initiative to the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan (the Cancer Plan), which is a central pillar of the European Health Union. Vaccination against human papillomaviruses (HPV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the main areas of concern, as vaccination could prevent several kinds of cancer caused by these viruses. Focusing on cancer prevention measures is crucial, as about 40% of cancer cases are deemed preventable, with vaccination playing a key role.
Vaccination is a vital crisis management tool for beating cancer, but in order to be much more efficient, cooperation and the exchange of best practices between Member States must be stepped up. It must also be accompanied by intensive investment in research and innovation. Furthermore, general practitioners, family doctors, school physicians and civil society organisations also have an important role to play in providing proper information, dispelling fears and scepticism, and encouraging people to get vaccinated.
A comprehensive approach to beating cancer is therefore vital and that is why it is of the utmost necessity to have a well-functioning and integrated system of prevention in all its forms, including primary prevention (vaccination, healthy lifestyle), secondary prevention (screening), and tertiary prevention (care and rehabilitation). Screening must be stepped up to ensure the early detection and diagnosis of cancer. Besides helping save lives and avoiding human suffering, cancer prevention is also an economic matter in that it saves on treatment and care costs and other resources.
Key points
In the opinion, the EESC:
- highlights the need for proper information, education and communication on vaccination, and highlights the role of school healthcare systems and parents in this endeavour;
- calls for strong efforts to fight misinformation and disinformation by acquiring science-based evidence and disseminating fact-based information through different channels, including social media;
- emphasises the need for gender equality in cancer prevention measures, and calls for HPV vaccinations to be proposed to all girls and boys of a certain age, for communication on the availability of HPV vaccination for boys to be stepped up, and for information on the vaccination rates of both boys and girls in various Member States to be gathered and published.
The text of the draft opinion can be found here.
Additional information
Section: Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)
Opinion number: SOC/793
Opinion type: Referral
Rapporteur: Milena ANGELOVA
Co-rapporteur: Sára FELSZEGHI
Reference: (COM(2024) 45 final)
Date of adoption by section: 23/5/2024
Result of the vote: 86 in favour/0 against/1 abstention
Date of adoption in plenary: 30/5/2024 – 31/5/2024
Result of the vote: in favour/ against/ abstentions
Contacts:
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Email: Simran.Grewal@eesc.europa.eu/ laurairena.lui@eesc.europa.eu
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Tel.: +32 2 546 8774