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A study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe has just put figures to a trend that is causing concern amongst public health experts: childhood vaccination rates remain high across much of Europe, but have slowed in recent years. The study analyses trends for seven vaccines across the 27 countries of the European Union between 1980 and 2024, using data from the WHO and UNICEF.
The vaccines reviewed are those for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough; hepatitis B; Haemophilus influenzae type b; measles; pneumococcal disease; polio and rubella. The most recent trends appear, in many cases, between 2019 and 2022, the pandemic and post-pandemic period.
The figures do not indicate a collapse. In many countries, vaccination coverage remains above 90 per cent. The warning lies elsewhere: countries that were vaccinating very effectively are beginning to see declines. These are sometimes small, but they are sustained. And when it comes to childhood vaccination, a slow decline can ultimately lead to gaps in protection.
Spain is well placed on the European map. According to data collected by El País, in 2024 vaccination coverage ranged from 92 per cent for polio to 97 per cent for measles and rubella. Even so, the study identifies a recent downward trend in Spain for five of the seven vaccines analysed.
The reasons are not the same in every country. The authors point to disruptions to healthcare services during the pandemic, barriers to access, inequalities, misinformation and a loss of trust. Experts consulted by the Science Media Centre Spain urge caution when interpreting the data, but agree that it is important to monitor developments.
The case of measles serves as a reminder. Spain continues to have high vaccination coverage, but at the start of the year the WHO withdrew its status as a country free from endemic transmission after a sustained chain of infections was detected. With highly contagious diseases, the margins are narrow.
The study does not alter the vaccination schedule nor does it suggest any immediate urgency. It does, however, offer a useful warning: to check where delays are occurring, which groups are the least well covered, and how to make up for outstanding doses before the shortfalls become apparent in the form of outbreaks.
Sources
The Lancet Regional Health – Europe — Trends in childhood vaccination coverage in the European Union, 1980–2024
https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.lanepe.2026.101834
El País — La vacunación echa el freno en Europa: “No es que haya colapsado, pero hay señales de alerta”
https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2026-09-18/la-vacunacion-echa-el-freno-en-europa-no-es-que-haya-colapsado-pero-hay-senales-de-alerta.html
Science Media Centre España — Las tasas de vacunación infantil se han estancado o descendido en la mayoría de los países de la UE desde el inicio de la pandemia de covid-19
https://sciencemediacentre.es/las-tasas-de-vacunacion-infantil-se-han-estancado-o-descendido-en-la-mayoria-de-los-paises-de-la-ue