[Promoting vaccination prevention in Germany across federal states with a focus on European goals: the national immunization steering group (NaLI)].

Abstract

The National Immunization Steering Group (NaLI), founded in 2016, is a federal-state committee that promotes the exchange of information on immunization strategies across state borders and encourages the development of joint approaches. One of the main tasks of the NaLI is to implement, monitor, and update the National Vaccination Plan of 2012, which provides information on the complex organization of the federal vaccination system in Germany and formulates goals and measures to improve the vaccination protection of the population.In addition to a brief evaluation of the implementation of the National Vaccination Plan of 2012, this article describes the efforts made to date to supplement and further develop the plan. In particular, these include the transparent presentation of the German vaccination system on the NaLI website, the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Measles and Rubella published in 2015, and a concept for HPV vaccination currently being developed by the NaLI.In recent years, some of the goals of the National Vaccination Plan have been achieved and many aspects have evolved. The NaLI therefore intends to revise the plan, taking into account the experience gained during its implementation and new scientific evidence. International policies and targets, in particular the European Immunization Agenda 2030, provide important guidance. The agenda sets targets that go beyond achieving specific immunization coverage levels. It focuses on equitable access to immunization, the concept of immunization delivery across the life course, and the control of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The aim of the adaptation and update of the National Vaccination Plan is to achieve a coordinated promotion of vaccination prevention throughout the country.