High support for the childhood vaccination program in Norway

FHI annually publishes a list of vaccinations for three groups (2-, 9- and 16-year-olds). Coverage statistics for 2023 show that the majority of children and young people have received the vaccines offered through the Childhood Immunization Programme.

– The high turnout can largely be attributed to the fact that vaccinations for children are free and easily accessible. PThe service is responsible for vaccines health characterized by high competence and trust, says Margrethe Greve-Isdahl, senior physician and head of the child vaccination program at the Institute of Public Health.

Greve-Isdahl explains that this means that children in Norway is generally well protected against the diseases for which they are vaccinated. This contrasts with the situation in several countries where there is less support for childhood vaccines. There may also be a backlog in vaccine development as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Differences in vaccination coverage

While these numbers are high nationally, for the second year in a row there has been a slight decline in the percentage of people covered by some vaccines in several groups. Changes in vaccination coverage are admittedly small and in most cases amount to less than 1% at the national level.

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As a result, FHI conducted several analyzes this year and found differences in vaccination coverage among some subgroups. Analyzes show that there are differences related to geographical location and certain groups of children whose parents were born abroad.

In terms of geography, lower vaccination rates may be due to the small population at municipal level. For children whose parents were born abroad, FHI analyzed vaccination coverage among children in the largest population groups of different national origins. For a child to be included in the statistics, both parents must be from the same country of birth. Here we find lower levels of insurance among children whose parents come from many Eastern European countries and some other countries.

– We will take a closer look at what could be causing this. Experience from several years of work with coverage statistics shows that the challenge is the lack of subsequent registration of children who have been vaccinated in other countries. It may also be technical errors in sending messages to the registry. However, the most important thing is to clarify whether there are groups of children who are not vaccinated and should be offered vaccination. That's why we need more research, says Greve-Isdahl.

The current mapping provides a knowledge base for further research that may uncover reasons for lower vaccination coverage in subgroups. With this knowledge, FHI can identify appropriate measures and improve the vaccination program.

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