A few weeks ago, the EU Commission launched an ‘Open Public Consultation on Strengthened Cooperation Against Vaccine-preventable Diseases’: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2017-5925775_en. Please read and share the EFVV's submission below. Feedback to the consultation is open until Jan 1st 2018. We do hope that many of you will want to send in your own feedback, to register the many countries and citizens concerned with many aspects of vaccination. So far the vast majority of comments submitted are against vaccine mandates but we need many more from all over Europe. Here is what EFVV has submitted: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2017-5925775/feedback/F8466_en ‘The greatest concern for the EFVV (European Forum for Vaccine Vigilance) is that nearly half of our EU citizens are under mandated vaccine policy. Incredibly, many have no Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting system and no vaccine injury compensation. Even where these exist, only 10% of the public are aware. Despite an inadequate system, ADRs are reported to be the fifth-leading cause of death in the EU with the WHO acknowledging an 'unavoidable risk associated with vaccines' (Bulletin 21.3.11). In democracies where science and health & safety are upheld as vital, we must keep scientific enquiry open and free from conflicts of interest. Influential organisations with financial and political interests have made assumptions that vaccine research is final, but citizens are still waiting for evidence that vaccine programmes result in healthier children with less chronic disease. We ask that true placebo and control groups be used in vaccine studies. We are concerned about the individual and synergistic toxicity of many ingredients of vaccines: Aluminium, Mercury, human and animal DNA, etc. Recent analysis has found contamination with nanoparticles and undeclared metals; we expect this to be investigated. Citizens all over Europe are concerned about vaccines more than any other pharmaceutical product: WHY?  Many citizens find that after vaccination they suffer almost immediate new health conditions. Some are known ADRs acknowledged to be linked with the vaccine; others are not listed but are seen in the post-marketing and reporting systems. These citizens seek health support and recognition of the injury, yet almost all find a total shutdown of discussion and are given a new label of ‘anti-vaccine’, a derogatory title used to belittle legitimate vaccine concerns.   Consumer groups and pro-choice groups, whose members include medical professionals and scientists, have seen vaccine injury increase and have joined the EFVV, whose followers exceed 100,000. We demand transparency and concern for the vaccine injured. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states clearly: ‘Free and informed consent must be respected in the fields of medicine and biology’ and the EFVV is therefore demanding: * That compulsory vaccination be abolished throughout Europe as it is a breach of our Universal Human Rights; * That European citizens benefit from freedom of fully-informed vaccination choice and consent and * That independent European Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting (VAER) systems be established to monitor vaccine safety. We have translated our concerns around vaccine mandates into 12 languages and our statement has been signed by nearly 85,000 citizens: https://www.change.org/p/european-parliament-european-commission-council-of-the-european-union-respect-promote-and-protect-freedom-of-informed-vaccination-consent-throughout-europe. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union also states clearly: ‘Everyone has the right to respect for his or her physical and mental integrity’.   Any involuntary or enforced medical treatment is therefore a breach of the: * UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights,  * Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, *  UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, *  EC Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine * European Charter of Patients’ Rights. (Refs provided on the www.change.org petition platform on the link above). We ask the Commission to seek real and genuine feedback from all its stakeholders, including its concerned citizens, on vaccine-preventable disease policy and practise. Closing discussion and using terms such as anti-vaccinator will only increase the mistrust and encourage more campaigns to be heard. The EFVV (est.1999) represents 25 European countries and its current chair is Dr Kris Gaublomme from Belgium. https://www.efvv.eu’ (End) With all best wishes for 2018 with the hope that this new year will bring the abolition of vaccine mandates and respect for human rights and freedom of choice. EFVV