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"Vaccine-preventable diseases" on the rise in the EU (including in Portugal)
The alert was issued by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as part of the European Immunization Week.
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Mundo ECDC
Vaccine-preventable diseases are on the rise in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned on Monday, marking the start of European Immunization Week.
The initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe, which runs until 27 April, aims to “celebrate the successes and ability of vaccination to keep generations protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, allowing them to (…) live longer, healthier lives”.
“It is discouraging to see that despite decades of well-documented evidence on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, EU/EEA [Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein] countries and globally are still facing outbreaks of several vaccine-preventable diseases”, said ECDC Director Andrea Ammon, quoted in a statement by the European agency.
Data released on Monday by the ECDC shows that vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough have been increasing after a drop in levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the official adding that “achieving and maintaining high vaccination coverage, disease surveillance, and timely outbreak response remain the cornerstones of action against these diseases”.
Measles cases started to increase in 2023 and the trend continued in several EU Member States, with “at least 5,770 measles cases, including at least five deaths” reported between March 2023 and the end of February 2024.
In Portugal, 16 cases were registered between 1 January and 10 March 2024, according to the Epidemiological Bulletin on measles from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
Given how easily measles spreads, the ECDC considers it essential that 95% of the population has been immunised with two doses of the vaccine to interrupt transmission.
As for whooping cough, preliminary data indicates an over ten-fold increase in cases in 2023 and 2024 compared to 2022 and 2021, the statement reads. The Portuguese press reported two confirmed cases in the country at the end of March.
The ECDC argues that “continuous efforts to identify immunity gaps in the population” are “essential”, calling for “additional work” to “ensure that no one is left behind, especially among vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, such as refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, and other groups”.
Read Also: WHO approves simplified cholera vaccine to overcome shortage (Portuguese version)
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