VACCINATION COVERAGE IN CYPRUS AT HIGH LEVELS - WE ARE STILL SOMEWHAT BEHIND ILN VACCINATIONS OF BOYS FOR HPV - Filenews 21/4 by Marilena Panayi
The vaccination coverage of Cypriots against the most basic communicable diseases is at high levels, however, as evidenced by the statistical data released yesterday by the European Center for Infection Control, the percentages of Cyprus in terms of vaccination of boys and girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV) are not among the highest in the EU.
There is even a relative difference between the coverage of girls versus boys.
Specifically, by the end of 2024, according to the European tables published on the occasion of the start of this year's vaccination week, the percentage of girls who had received the first dose in Cyprus at the age of 15 and over was 73% and for boys of the same age at 50%. The last dose had been received by 67% of 15-year-old girls and 50% of boys.
For women in general who completed the HPV vaccination regimen, the percentage was 89% and for men 70%.
With these percentages, Cyprus, although not in the highest positions of the relevant table, is well above the European average which is 61% for girls and 53% for boys.
As far as Hepatitis B is concerned, the rates of Cyprus are at 94% for people who received the third dose of the vaccine.
For measles, the rates in Cyprus are very high and are at 99% for the first dose and 97% for the second, while for the Red Cross the rate was at the end of 2024 at 99%.
At the European level, the European Centre for Infection Control, recording the vaccination coverage of European citizens, makes special reference to the infections/diseases that have been of particular concern in recent years
According to the Center's surveillance data, as of February 28, 2026, 350 cases of measles were recorded, "a number of concerns in view of the usual increase in transmission during the spring months, especially in populations with incomplete vaccination coverage".
According to the Center, "the picture of whooping cough is also worrying, as in 2024 almost 210,000 cases were recorded, a number more than eight times higher than in 2023, with infants under one year old and adolescents 10-14 years old being more affected".
At the same time, invasive pneumococcal disease "returned to the highest levels since 2019, with more than 25,000 cases per year in 2023 and 2024, which highlights the importance of pneumococcal vaccination, especially for the elderly and groups at increased risk."
The data on HPV vaccination are positive, "as all EU/EEA countries have expanded their programmes to include both boys and girls, strengthening the prevention of virus-related cancers such as cervical cancer. This development confirms that preventing infections today can significantly reduce the future cancer burden on future generations."
