Published on: 2026-04-20
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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Today marks the start of the twentieth European Immunization Week, during which WHO highlights the progress made in vaccination over the past two decades and calls for strengthening efforts for its continuation.
The European Immunization Week was held for the first time in 53 countries of Europe and Central Asia in 2007 with the aim of raising awareness about each child’s right to protection against diseases that can be prevented with vaccines. The campaign promotes informing the population and strengthening national immunization programs, improving public health indicators.
According to estimates, over the past half-century, vaccination has saved about 154 million lives worldwide. In the European region, a high level of vaccination has significantly reduced the burden of infectious diseases. Thus, the region has been free from endemic poliomyelitis since 2002, has practically achieved the eradication of measles, and has also achieved a substantial decrease in the incidence of diphtheria, whooping cough, and mumps.
At the same time, countries in the region continue to expand immunization programs. In particular, almost all countries in the WHO European Region have included the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in their national immunization schedules for the prevention of cervical cancer and other oncological diseases.
Pregnant women can now also receive protection against diseases such as whooping cough, influenza,COVID-19and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which helps preserve the health of mothers and newborns.
However, in a number of countries, the vaccination rate is decreasing, and large-scale outbreaks of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines are being recorded more and more often. For example, in 2024, more than 298 thousand cases of whooping cough were registered in the WHO European region — this is the highest figure in the entire history of observations. In the same year, the number of measles cases exceeded 127 thousand, reaching the maximum for the last 27 years.
This trend is associated with insufficient public awareness, the spread of misinformation, and decreased trust in vaccines and health authorities. At the same time, outbreaks indicate an uneven level of vaccination, as well as gaps in immunization programs and the primary healthcare system. In these conditions, investments in immunization programs, which are necessary to achieve results and ensure sustainability, acquire particular importance.
UNICEF, WHO, and the European Commission continue to work together with partners to overcome existing challenges in the field of immunization and ensure the protection of children and other vulnerable population groups. The message remains unchanged – vaccines work, save lives, and protect the health of the population.
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