July 15, 2026, 06:48July 15, 2026, 06:48
In the WHO European region, the number of completely unvaccinated children fell last year. However, the number of those who have no or no full vaccination protection against infectious diseases is still large, report the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund Unicef.
In Europe, many children still have no or no full vaccination protection.Image: keystone
The WHO European Region goes far beyond the EU. This includes 53 countries, including Turkey, Turkmenistan and Israel. A good half of the children who have not been vaccinated live in four countries: Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Great Britain and Azerbaijan.
The numbers in detail: A total of 43,000 fewer children in the 53 countries were not vaccinated at all last year than in 2024. A total of 566,000 children still lacked any vaccination protection, and 258,000 children were only inadequately protected.
The first vaccinations babies receive include those against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis). Across the European region the rate was 94 percent, the same as the year before. In 2019 it was 96 percent. Around 92 percent of the children received the first dose of the measles vaccination – just like the year before. In 2019 it was 94 percent.
Worry despite progress
The UN organizations are concerned about declines in vaccination rates in some countries. This is due, among other things, to the fact that vaccination programs are limited in many conflict areas, but also to a lack of funds after many richer countries cut development aid.
However, the WHO also cites misinformation about the risks of vaccination as a problem. “Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the last five decades,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last year. (dab/sda/dpa)