Vaccination fatigue in Austria: alarming numbers and necessary measures!

Vaccination fatigue in Austria: alarming numbers and necessary measures!

Österreich - In Austria, the topic of vaccinations becomes increasingly urgent. According to a current report by Kleine Zeitung , the vaccination rate in the country is only 84 %, which Austria has the lowest quota in Europe. The President of the Austrian Association of Vaccinists (ÖVIH), Renée Gallo-Daniel, emphasizes the decisive contribution of vaccinations on public health and demands measures to reverse this worrying trend.

An alarming example of the need for a higher vaccination rate are the numbers for whooping cough, in which an increase in the number of cases was recorded by 450 % compared to 2023 in 2024. 15,465 cases were registered this year. The challenges appointed is also the still small willingness to vaccinate against influenza, which in winter 2023/2024 was only 15.16 % of the population. The death of a newborn of whooping cough in March 2024, which underlines the urgency of vaccination campaigns, was particularly worrying.

The demand for a paradigm shift

With regard to the current situation, ÖVIH general secretary Olivier Jankowitsch calls for a paradigm shift from the primary treatment of diseases to prevention. This assessment is supported by the report, which notes that every euro that is invested in health care generates a profit of 14 euros for the health and social economy. In the area of adult vaccinations, the original investment could even flow back to 19 times.

The developments in the area of vaccinations illustrate the importance of continuous education and strengthening trust in vaccination measures. The WHO has developed a 5-C model that identifies trust, risk perception, convenience, benefit-risk relationship and community responsibility as crucial factors for vaccination decisions. In order to meet this need, the ÖVIH calls for an "vaccination" action plan with clear goals and requirements of the Ministry of Health.

The costs of vaccinations and their social implications

vaccinations are considered one of the most cost -efficient measures in health care. Studies show that vaccination programs are extremely inexpensive compared to the treatment costs. In this context, The knowledge between 2000 and 2019 was estimated to prevent 23 million deaths from vaccinations. These statistics make it clear how vaccinations contribute to combating infectious diseases and improve the lives of millions of people.

The Covid 19 pandemic has revolutionized the speed of vaccine development, which could also be important for future vaccination strategies. Innovative technologies such as mrNA vaccines could help react faster to epidemic outbreaks and increase the effectiveness of future vaccines.

call to improve the vaccination rates

is a key year for improving the vaccination rate in Austria in 2025. The vaccination rate of 75 % in risk groups recommended by the EU and the WHO currently seems unreachable. There is a need to catch up, especially in young people: the vaccination rates for boys aged 14 years are less than 50 %. Here an early integration of vaccine manufacturers and the optimization of existing vaccination programs is necessary.