Declining Vaccination Rates Raise Concerns Over Preventable Diseases in Germany
Health experts warn that falling immunization coverage for diseases like polio, measles, and diphtheria could lead to a resurgence of severe illnesses.
- Vaccination rates in Germany have dropped, with only 21% of one-year-olds fully immunized against polio and 64% against diphtheria by 15 months of age.
- Experts attribute the decline to delayed vaccinations, misinformation, and pandemic-induced skepticism about vaccine effectiveness.
- Diseases like polio, measles, and diphtheria, which were largely controlled, could reemerge with serious complications if immunization rates continue to fall.
- Certain populations, including those from educationally disadvantaged households or without regular access to healthcare, are particularly hard to reach for vaccination efforts.
- The Robert Koch Institute highlights a significant increase in measles cases, from 15 in 2022 to 636 in 2024, underscoring the risks of even slight decreases in vaccination coverage.
Sächsische Zeitung 
WELT 
Der Tagesspiegel 
Die Zeit 
Stern 
Süddeutsche Zeitung 
DER SPIEGEL 
Augsburger Allgemeine 