Health system barriers in vaccine uptake disproportionately affect specific ethnic, religious or cultural minorities across Europe and are therefore a major contributor to low vaccine uptake in these groups. RIVER-EU aims to identify and remove these barriers, specifically focusing on MMR and HPV vaccination in selected underserved communities (migrant community in Greece, Turkish females and Moroccan females in the Netherlands, Ukrainian minority in Poland and Roma community in Slovakia). First, we will analyze health system barriers and enablers to the vaccination of these communities, and then tailor existing interventions or develop new ones, which will be implemented and evaluated. Research findings will be translated in evidence-based guidelines and an educational platform for health care professionals that can be used to address equitable access to vaccination across Europe. We will use the Participatory Action Research approach to involve the target groups and key stakeholders, and to foster collaboration and knowledge co-creation among all stakeholders in every phase of the project. By building on existing research, findings and available information as well as on existing guidelines and recommendations, we will 1) increase understanding of the determinants of low vaccine uptake in specific contexts situated in the EU and/or Associated countries; 2) develop strategies to increase vaccination rates within these contexts; and 3) develop a series of recommendations that national and regional public health authorities could implement in order to increase vaccine coverage. Through the interdisciplinary approach and strong involvement of end-users and relevant stakeholders, we will maximize RIVER-EU’s impact by making sure the guidelines will be readily implementable, thus reducing health inequalities and improving access to vaccination services among underserved communities and increasing vaccine uptake and coverage in Europe.

I-MOVE-COVID-19 aims to obtain epidemiological, clinical and virological information about COVID-19 and patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, through provision of a flexible surveillance platform (adaptable to the epidemiological situation), research studies, hypothesis-testing and evaluation of public health interventions (e.g. vaccination, antivirals) in order to contribute to the knowledge base, guide patient management, and inform the public health response. This will be achieved through adaptation and expansion of the existing, long-running, Europe-wide influenza surveillance network (I-MOVE) to include COVID-19. The network includes primary care networks, hospitals, national laboratory reference centres in ten countries. I-MOVE-COVID-19 priority activities and research projects will be selected based on ECDC/WHO input and the proposal’s detailed list. These will be conducted by mobilising an existing large European multidisciplinary network, combining the expertise and resources of groups working in surveillance (epidemiological, clinical, virological), respiratory disease research, and evaluation of vaccines/treatments. Through protocol sharing and pooling European results, questions will be answered which could not be efficiently answered by countries acting alone. I-MOVE-COVID-19 will share study results rapidly and widely with national and international partners and with the wider scientific community and contribute to clinical management of patients and public health preparedness and response to COVID-19.