Influenza vaccination rates fall in Europe

Report of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), statistics until the end of October 2024, shows that about 17 countries have reduced vaccination rates, and national vaccination coverage rates in 2023 -2024 is 45.7%, lower than 2020-2021 with 59%. ECDC assesses that there are signs that seasonal vaccination programs in the elderly are decreasing after many years of implementation.

For example, while Denmark leads in vaccination, the country’s vaccination rate fell last year among pregnant women and adults. In Spain, more children were vaccinated in 2023-2024, but vaccination rates decreased among health workers. In Belgium, a report shows vaccination numbers increased sharply in 2019-2020 then decreased in 2021. Croatia, France, Italy, Iceland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain have vaccination rates decreased in adults.

Vaccination rates have decreased because people’s confidence in vaccines differs between countries. For example, in Latvia, 42% of people believe that vaccines are safe, but still low compared to 84% in Portugal. Hesitancy towards vaccines often focuses on reactions in the human body, ignoring the true benefits of vaccines such as helping to reduce the burden of disease in people at high risk of getting worse, with chronic diseases.

ECDC recommends that European countries continue to recommend influenza vaccination for key target groups including older adults, individuals with chronic diseases, pregnant women and healthcare workers. Most countries have not yet achieved adequate protection for key target groups, so there needs to be a strategy to increase vaccination rates and address barriers to vaccines. At the same time, it is necessary to develop new influenza vaccines that are safer and more effective, thereby increasing confidence in the vaccination program.

Ben Kasstan-Dabush, an expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK), believes that influenza vaccine should be included in the medical care program for high-risk patients with chronic diseases, to enhance vaccination rate.

Influenza vaccines have been in use since 1945, and annual vaccination is recommended. To date, the most commonly used vaccines are inactivated injections, including shots against three strains of the virus and against four strains of the virus, or high-dose vaccines designed mainly for use in people over 65 years old.