On April 29th, the Master LIVE Belkaid cohort joined national master’s students at the University of Antwerp for an intensive masterclass focused on vaccine policy and immunization strategies within the European context. This session offered an in-depth look at the governance, decision-making, and stakeholder dynamics shaping vaccine policy at national and supranational levels.
The day began with a lecture, providing us a comprehensive overview of the European vaccine landscape. The strategic role of Vaccines Europe in representing manufacturers and influencing EU policy on access, supply chains, and immunization planning was highlighted. A key element of the lecture was the introduction of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), a developing initiative to enable the secure sharing and secondary use of electronic health data across the EU. The potential to support vaccine development, strengthen cross-border care, and improve public health data infrastructure was outlined.
The second half of the day featured a roleplay simulation, a central and impactful component of the masterclass. Participants assumed roles as stakeholders within the vaccine ecosystem—including pharmaceutical companies, procurement bodies, government regulators, frontline health workers, and media professionals. Guided by specific performance indicators, they negotiated to align sectoral objectives with shared public health goals. The cohort’s interdisciplinary composition mirrored the collaborative approach essential to real-world vaccine policy, which depends on integrating perspectives from public health, science, industry, and governance.
This immersive exercise highlighted the complexity of vaccine policymaking as a political and context-dependent process shaped by negotiation, trust-building, and balancing divergent priorities. Adopting diverse stakeholder perspectives revealed how individual decisions can ripple across the system, affecting vaccine confidence, equity, and access. This was particularly relevant within the supranational EU framework, underscoring vaccines’ multi-layered socio-political and economic dimensions.
The simulation also surfaced real-world challenges such as managing conflicting priorities, addressing information asymmetries, and balancing urgent demands with long-term outcomes. Success required agility, critical thinking, and strong interpersonal skills. Participants were challenged to combine theoretical knowledge with practical negotiation and communication, developing the soft skills essential for leadership in global health governance.
Overall, the masterclass provided a close-up view of the complexities in vaccine policy development, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder collaboration, strategic foresight, and evidence-based negotiation. It demonstrated the value of experiential learning in preparing future leaders to navigate complex policy environments. Beyond the biomedical science of vaccinology, the experience framed it as a dynamic field of governance requiring diplomacy, vision, and systemic thinking. The insights gained will support the cohort’s ongoing academic and professional contributions to public health and immunization policy. We thank our LIVE coordinator team’s Sara Van Looy for her integral role in facilitating this masterclass and supporting our experiential learning.
Masterclass on Vaccine Policy and Stakeholder Dynamics
On April 29th, the Master LIVE Belkaid cohort joined national master’s students at the University of Antwerp for an intensive masterclass focused on vaccine policy and immunization strategies within the European context. This session offered an in-depth look at the governance, decision-making, and stakeholder dynamics shaping vaccine policy at national and supranational levels.
The day began with a lecture, providing us a comprehensive overview of the European vaccine landscape. The strategic role of Vaccines Europe in representing manufacturers and influencing EU policy on access, supply chains, and immunization planning was highlighted. A key element of the lecture was the introduction of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), a developing initiative to enable the secure sharing and secondary use of electronic health data across the EU. The potential to support vaccine development, strengthen cross-border care, and improve public health data infrastructure was outlined.
The second half of the day featured a roleplay simulation, a central and impactful component of the masterclass. Participants assumed roles as stakeholders within the vaccine ecosystem—including pharmaceutical companies, procurement bodies, government regulators, frontline health workers, and media professionals. Guided by specific performance indicators, they negotiated to align sectoral objectives with shared public health goals. The cohort’s interdisciplinary composition mirrored the collaborative approach essential to real-world vaccine policy, which depends on integrating perspectives from public health, science, industry, and governance.
This immersive exercise highlighted the complexity of vaccine policymaking as a political and context-dependent process shaped by negotiation, trust-building, and balancing divergent priorities. Adopting diverse stakeholder perspectives revealed how individual decisions can ripple across the system, affecting vaccine confidence, equity, and access. This was particularly relevant within the supranational EU framework, underscoring vaccines’ multi-layered socio-political and economic dimensions.
The simulation also surfaced real-world challenges such as managing conflicting priorities, addressing information asymmetries, and balancing urgent demands with long-term outcomes. Success required agility, critical thinking, and strong interpersonal skills. Participants were challenged to combine theoretical knowledge with practical negotiation and communication, developing the soft skills essential for leadership in global health governance.
Overall, the masterclass provided a close-up view of the complexities in vaccine policy development, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder collaboration, strategic foresight, and evidence-based negotiation. It demonstrated the value of experiential learning in preparing future leaders to navigate complex policy environments. Beyond the biomedical science of vaccinology, the experience framed it as a dynamic field of governance requiring diplomacy, vision, and systemic thinking. The insights gained will support the cohort’s ongoing academic and professional contributions to public health and immunization policy. We thank our LIVE coordinator team’s Sara Van Looy for her integral role in facilitating this masterclass and supporting our experiential learning.
2025.05.06 – Belkaid Prom’
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