Austria in vaccination crisis: measles and whooping cough achieve record numbers!

Austria in vaccination crisis: measles and whooping cough achieve record numbers!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - On January 17, 2025, Mag. Alexander Herzog, General Secretary of Pharmig, emphasized the importance of vaccinations on the occasion of the Austrian vaccination. Herzog explained that vaccinations are not only a means of combating pandemics, but are the only effective preventive option, especially in certain infectious diseases. These measures are of essential importance, since Austria fights with alarming low -vaccination rates in a European comparison. Diseases such as measles and whooping cough have increased again in recent years, which is a serious threat to public health. For example, it was reported for 2024 that the number of whooping coughs have reached the values of the pre-vaccin and Austria recorded more than 500 measles cases, so that it is one of the ten countries with the highest measles incidence in Europe, as a comprehensive analysis of the Med University Vienna shows, as on ots.at .

Pension for adults

Herzog also underlined the need to make vaccinations not only for children and adolescents, but also more accessible to adults. In Austria, there is an unused potential when paying the cost of adults, which should be expanded urgently. Particular attention is paid to the protection of older people whose immune system is often weakened. Continuous vaccination protection can not only increase the quality of life, but also relieve basic care in the healthcare system. Herzog pointed out that vaccinations are a decisive part of health care, especially at a time when chronic diseases increase. Vaccinations benefit from a broad layer of the population and are essential to minimize additional health risks, such as pharmig.at .

The pharmig, the voluntary advocacy representation of the Austrian pharmaceutical industry, has committed itself to this topic and is committed to ensuring that the population has access to important vaccines. With around 120 members, the association covers 95 percent of the medication market in Austria. The goal is a comprehensive vaccination strategy that not only guarantees the security of the pharmaceutical supply, but also promotes social progress.