Childhood vaccination rates in Ireland remain below pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report.
A leading expert on vaccine immunology in Ireland said a lower uptake on key childhood vaccines may be due to a declining rate in the acceptance of vaccine safety, due to disinformation and misinformation online.
Professor Anne Moore, vaccine immunology expert and Professor at University College Cork urged people not to rely "on social media and the misinformation and disinformation.".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said: "Mary down the road does not know the true efficacy and the true safety of these vaccines, healthcare professionals do.
"Talk to your pharmacist, a nurse, a GP, so you can get all the correct information you need."
More than 30 million children across Europe and Central Asia were under-protected from measles in 2024, leading to a number of countries experiencing large and disruptive outbreaks.
This is according to the latest joint report from UNICEF and the World Health Organization.
It highlights a "stagnating" vaccination uptake rate for key childhood diseases such as measles and whooping cough.
Last year 60 countries experienced either a large or disruptive measles outbreaks, up from 33 countries in 2022.
Globally, 89% of infants, equating to around 115 million children, received at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccines, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and polio.
These are all serious diseases that can be life-threatening.
Nearly 20 million infants worldwide missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine last year.
'Challenges' in Ireland's child vaccination uptake - HSE
Ireland is among the high-income countries with lower childhood vaccine uptake, The HSE's National Immunisation Office (NIO) said.
Prof Moore stressed that the decline in uptake is due both to a lack of acceptance of vaccine safety as well as accessibility.
"In Ireland, it can sometimes not be convenient for a parent or caregiver to get their child to the GP to get their vaccines," Prof Moore added.
The NIO said it acknowledged the findings of the report, stressing that while Ireland has made significant progress in previous decades, recent years have "brought challenges".
It stressed that routine vaccination services were disrupted both during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The HSE said the declining vaccine update in Ireland is falling short of the 95% coverage required to achieve herd immunity against key early childhood diseases.
Ireland's vaccination rate for nearly all vaccines administered to children was in the 80% range.
The HPV vaccine, which protects against the cancer causing HPV virus and is offered to all first-year students in secondary schools, had the lowest uptake, according to the NIO.
Its uptake was 78.4% among first years in second level schools in the academic year 2022/23, marking a decrease on the previous year.
Children in Ireland born after 1 October 2024 are offered a number of vaccines as infants, in junior infants and in their first year of secondary school.
Take up rates for vaccines offered to infants in Ireland decreased between the third and final quarter of 2024, which the NIO said were all between 85% and 90%.
The HSE said protecting children from preventable diseases is a "national priority", and that it remains committed to reversing recent declines and ensuring that every child in Ireland has "access to life-saving vaccines".
"Clear, empathetic communication with parents and caregivers is essential to building trust and confidence in vaccines, and this remains a key focus of our ongoing work.
"We also recognise that restoring and improving childhood vaccination rates requires sustained collaboration with GPs, public health nurses, schools, and communities," it said in a statement.
"We are working closely with all stakeholders to expand access, build vaccine confidence, and deliver equitable immunisation services across the country."
