Vaccination coverage in the European Union

Abstract Background Vaccination coverage rates in the European Union (EU) vary considerably across countries and there has been a decline for some diseases in some countries in recent years. Methods The ECDC supports member states in their vaccination programmes through a range of activities, including identification of threats, surveillance, international collaboration, scientific working groups, assessments of national vaccination programmes, and communication activities. Results For the first dose of the vaccine against measles, coverage ranges from 85% in Italy to 99% in Luxembourg and Hungary, with the average for the EU (93.6%) falling below what is required to ensure herd immunity. Uptake of the second dose against measles reached the target of 95% in only four countries in 2017, compared to 14 in 2007. Conclusions Despite the fact that there are safe and efficient vaccines, there seems to be a crisis of confidence in them. Each EU citizen should receive correct evidence-based information on vaccines and have the same immunisation opportunities.