Decline in childhood vaccination rates in Europe since COVID-19

by Lancet

edited by Swati Mestri, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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Childhood vaccination coverage has declined across most European Union (EU) countries in recent years, reversing some of the substantial progress made since 1980, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health—Europe.

Researchers analyzed World Health Organization and UNICEF data on uptake rates for seven childhood vaccines: diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, pneumococcus, polio and rubella, across all 27 EU countries between 1980 and 2024.

Over the four-decade period, childhood vaccination rates rose in most countries for most of the seven vaccines. However, the study suggests this trend has changed in recent years.

Sixteen EU countries had recent declines in vaccination rates for four or more vaccines, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden, where all seven vaccines studied had recent downward trends.

Data from Germany and Spain suggested decreasing vaccination rates in recent years for five of the seven childhood vaccines. In France and Italy, coverage of four vaccines increased and coverage of three decreased.

Recent declines were most widespread for vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b and polio, followed by hepatitis B and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis. Measles and rubella vaccination showed comparatively more favorable recent trends.

Most recent declines began between 2019 and 2022, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors said this timing suggests the pandemic may have contributed to disruptions in routine vaccination services but cautioned that their study was not designed to examine potential reasons behind the findings.

More information

Leonardo Villani et al, Trends in childhood vaccination coverage in the European Union, 1980–2024: an ecological time-series study, The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2026.101834

Key medical concepts

COVID 19 Pandemic

Clinical categories

PediatricsInfectious diseasesChildren's healthPreventive medicineCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by Lancet Who's behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

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