Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi joined WHO and UNICEF leaders on the occasion of the 20th European Immunisation Week to celebrate two decades of vaccination achievements across Europe and Central Asia. The statement highlighted a more than 99% drop in rubella cases since 2000, a 90% decrease in diphtheria, near elimination of polio and measles, and widespread introduction of vaccines such as HPV and those protecting pregnant women. These gains reflect improved public health infrastructure and high immunisation coverage in many countries of the WHO European Region.
However, the statement also warned of declining immunisation rates in some countries, leading to record outbreaks. Pertussis cases reached 298,000 in 2024, and measles cases hit a 27-year peak of over 127,000. The causes cited include misinformation, distrust in vaccines or health authorities, uneven coverage, and weaknesses in primary health care and immunisation programmes. This warning follows Commissioner Várhelyi's earlier clarification on April 9, 2026, regarding mRNA vaccine regulation, where he emphasised that mRNA vaccines are not gene therapies and are tightly regulated under existing EU pharmaceutical laws, with no safety issues found by the European Medicines Agency. That response addressed concerns raised by MEP Gerald Hauser about vaccine safety and regulatory exemptions, reiterating the Commission's commitment to rigorous safety monitoring.
Commissioner Várhelyi and partners called for enhanced leadership, investment, and cooperation to prevent reversals in public health gains. The European Commission has already allocated considerable resources to immunisation efforts and will continue collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, and partners to promote vaccine access, especially for marginalised communities. The statement advocates strengthening health systems and immunisation programmes, reflecting a policy orientation towards increasing public health authority and cooperation rather than nationalist fragmentation. This aligns with the Commission's stance in the earlier parliamentary exchange, which favoured maintaining the current regulatory framework with robust monitoring rather than reclassifying mRNA vaccines as gene therapy.
For EU consumers and children, continued vaccine coverage reduces disease risk and associated health burdens. National health authorities face renewed pressure to enhance programme coverage and combat vaccine misinformation, potentially requiring increased budgets and administrative efforts. Vaccine producers and distributors may see sustained or increased demand but must navigate differing national priorities and challenges of public trust. EU taxpayers indirectly support resource allocation within the Commission’s health initiatives, balancing sustained investment against competing priorities. The statement acknowledges concrete outbreaks and resource commitments but sets no explicit new numerical targets or deadlines, signalling a call to preserve and build on existing EU cooperation and public health investments rather than transformative policy shifts.
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