A recent report highlights the diverse landscape of COVID-19 vaccination coverage within the european Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA). Data collected from 21 out of 30 countries during the reporting period focused on key demographics, including individuals aged 60 and above, those 80 and older, healthcare workers, individuals with chronic conditions, and pregnant women.

The report indicates that approximately 13.6 million people aged 60 and above received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, with about four million of those being 80 years or older. Though, vaccination coverage rates show notable variation across the region.

Vaccination Coverage Disparities

The median COVID-19 vaccination coverage among individuals aged 60 and above stood at 8.7%, with individual country rates ranging from less than 0.1% to 52.8%. for those aged 80 and above, the median coverage was similar at 8.5%, but the range was even wider, spanning from 0.9% to 83.5%.

“The median COVID-19 vaccination coverage among people aged 60 years and above was 8.7% (range: <0.1-52.8%), with high variation among countries."

Notably, only one of the 21 reporting countries achieved a vaccination coverage rate of 50% or higher for the 60+ age group. In contrast, seven countries managed to reach or exceed the 50% mark for the 80+ age group. When considering a 30% coverage threshold, eight countries surpassed it for the 60+ group, while nine did so for the 80+ group.

Vaccine Distribution

The Pfizer BioNTech – Comirnaty JN.1 vaccine accounted for the majority of doses administered. Out of approximately 15.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses given across the EU/EEA during this period, around 11.3 million (73.3%) were the Pfizer BioNTech – Comirnaty JN.1 vaccine.