Assessing vaccination coverage in the European Union: is it still a challenge?

Haverkate M, D’Ancona F, Johansen K, van der Velden K, Giesecke J and Lopalco PL.  Expert Rev. Vaccines 2011; 10(8): 1195–205.

All countries in the EU have implemented, in different extent, vaccination programs for children. Collecting and assessing vaccination coverage regularly is part of such programs, but the methods used vary widely. Some quality issues are evident when data reported through administrative methods are compared with seroprevalence studies or other surveys. More thorough assessment of vaccination coverage and more effective information sharing are needed in the EU. A homogeneous system for assessing vaccination coverage would facilitate comparability across countries and might increase the level of the quality of both the national and local systems. Cooperative and coordinated responses to vaccine‑preventable disease threats might be improved by better information sharing.