▁is : ▁Pre vent . ▁Prote ct . ▁Im mun ize . ▁ ▁As ▁stated ▁by ▁W HO / Europe , ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁E I W ▁is ▁three fold : ▁to ▁increase ▁v acc ination ▁coverage ▁across ▁the ▁European ▁Region ▁by ▁raising ▁public ▁aw aren ess ▁about ▁the ▁benefits ▁of ▁imm un ization ; ▁to ▁support ▁national ▁imm un ization ▁systems ; ▁and ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁framework ▁for ▁mobil izing ▁public ▁and ▁political ▁support ▁for ▁imm un ization ▁efforts . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁E I W ▁was ▁conducted ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁by ▁the ▁W HO / Europe ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Member ▁States ▁across ▁the ▁Region . ▁The ▁European ▁Im mun ization ▁Week ▁( E I W ) ▁is ▁an ▁annual ▁initi ative ▁to ▁raise ▁aw aren ess , ▁improve ▁communication ▁and ▁advoc ate ▁imm un ization ▁across ▁the ▁W HO ▁European ▁Region . ▁ ▁E I W ▁started ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁concern ▁that ▁imm un ization ▁is ▁becoming ▁less ▁val ued ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁inc idence ▁of , ▁and ▁reduced ▁fear ▁of ▁inf ect ious ▁dise ases . ▁Con sequently , ▁the ▁coverage ▁rates ▁have ▁decl ined ▁in ▁many ▁countries ▁across ▁the ▁W HO ▁European ▁Region ; ▁this ▁has ▁resulted ▁in ▁large , ▁sp or adic ▁disease ▁out break s . ▁A verage ▁coverage ▁rates ▁vary ▁greatly ▁between ▁Member ▁States , ▁however ▁vulner able ▁groups ▁exist ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁Region . ▁This ▁reduction ▁in ▁coverage ▁rates ▁have ▁been ▁influenced ▁by ▁media