Vaccination coverage has fallen in 16 EU countries since 2019, raising concerns over potential resurgence of preventable diseases after pandemic disruptions, with protection against some illnesses declining sharply across the bloc.
Childhood vaccination rates have slipped in 16 EU countries, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, raising fresh concern that routine immunisation is losing ground after the pandemic. The research, which tracked seven paediatric vaccines across all 27 member states from 1980 to 2024, found that coverage remains high by historical standards but has fallen in much of the bloc since 2019.
The pattern is uneven. Luxembourg and Portugal still reported at least 95% coverage for all seven vaccines in 2024, a level epidemiologists generally say is needed to block sustained measles transmission. Romania, by contrast, remained below 80%. Germany and Spain recorded declines in five of the seven vaccines studied, while France and Italy showed a split picture, with four vaccines rising and three falling. Cyprus, Bulgaria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden saw declines across all seven.
The steepest drops were seen in protection against meningitis B and polio, which fell in 20 countries, followed by hepatitis B in 18 and the combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine in 17. Measles and rubella held up relatively better. The researchers did not set out to prove the cause of the downturn, but they said most of the declines began between 2019 and 2022, the period shaped by COVID-19. That fits broader evidence from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which reported in its 2023 annual measles review that vaccination coverage across the EU and European Economic Area had slipped below the levels needed to stop outbreaks, with many cases occurring among unvaccinated children.
The pandemic also disrupted routine health services worldwide. A Lancet editorial cited global data showing that coverage of the third dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine fell from 86% in 2019 to 81% in 2021, the lowest level since 2008, while millions of children missed routine shots altogether. Other research on vaccination trends in the European Union has pointed to access problems and information gaps as continuing barriers. For public health officials, the message is blunt: Europe’s long vaccine gains are not guaranteed, and once coverage falls, preventable diseases such as measles can return quickly.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
