II.3. HEALTH STATUS
NOTIFIED CASES OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES Communicable diseases, such as measles, Norway. The higher number of reported cases in these hepatitis B and many others, pose major threats to countries is due at least partly to a more comprehensive the health of European citizens, although vaccination surveillance and reporting system that includes both could efficiently prevent these diseases (EC, 2018). acute and chronic cases. The vast majority of cases Measles, a highly infectious disease of the respiratory reported in these countries are chronic cases. Many system, is caused by a virus. Symptoms include fever, countries with low rates such as France, Greece and cough, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. It can lead Lithuania do not report such chronic cases. to severe health complications, including pneumonia, Reported cases of hepatitis B are higher in men encephalitis, diarrhoea and blindness. than in women. About one-third of all reported 13 475 cases of measles were reported to the hepatitis B cases occurs among people aged 25-34. For European Surveillance System by the 30 EU/EEA acute infections, heterosexual transmission is the countries from May 2017 to May 2018, up from 8 523 most common route of transmission, followed by cases for the preceding 12-month period. The average nosocomial transmission, transmission among men rate in the EU in 2017 was 2.2 cases per 100 000 who have sex with men, injuries and drug injection. population, but with wide variations across countries Mother-to-child transmission is the most common (Figure 3.24). Romania reported the highest number of route for chronic cases (ECDC, 2018b). The most new cases and highest rate (28.4 cases per 100 000 effective prevention is vaccination (see indicators on population). Greece and Italy followed with rates childhood vaccination in Chapter 6). higher than 8 per 100 000 population. An outbreak of measles started in 2016 in Romania and smaller outbreaks, amplified by low vaccination coverage, Definition and comparability stemmed partly from it in a few other countries. In most countries where vaccination coverage is high, Mandatory notification systems for very few cases of measles were reported in 2017 (see communicable diseases, including measles and indicator on vaccination in Chapter 6). hepatitis B, exist in most European countries, although case definitions, laboratory confirmation Vaccination against measles is very effective: the requirements and reporting systems may differ. vast majority of newly diagnosed people were not Measles and hepatitis B notification is mandatory vaccinated. Although 45% of measles cases occurred in all EU member states. Caution is required in among people aged 15 and older, most cases are interpreting the data because of the diversity in among infants under one year old, as they are often surveillance systems, case definitions and stilltooyoungtohavereceivedthefirstdoseof reporting practices (for example, several countries vaccine. Unvaccinated infants are generally protected only collect data on acute cases, not chronic against measles when at least 95% of population have cases). Variation between countries also likely received the second dose of vaccine (ECDC, 2018a). reflects differences in testing as well as differences Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by a virus in immunisation and screening programmes. transmitted by contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person. People who are infected can go on to develop a chronic infection, especially those who are infected at younger ages. People with chronic hepatitis B are more likely to suffer from liver cirrhosis References and liver cancer. EC (2018), Proposal for a council recommendation on More than 29 300 hepatitis B cases were reported strengthened cooperation against vaccine preventable in EU/EEA countries in 2016 (ECDC, 2018b). This equals diseases, European Commission, Brussels. a rate of 6 cases of hepatitis B per 100 000 population ECDC (2018a), Measles outbreaks still ongoing in 2018 and across EU countries in 2016. Sweden, the United Kingdom fatalities reported from four countries, accessed and Latvia had the highest notification rates, with 27 June 2018. more than 18 cases per 100 000 population (Figure 3.25). ECDC (2018b), Annual epidemiological report for 2016 The rates are also high in Austria, Ireland, Iceland and Hepatitis B, Stockholm.
100 HEALTH AT A GLANCE: EUROPE 2018 © OECD/EUROPEAN UNION 2018 II.3. HEALTH STATUS
3.24. Notification rate of measles, 2017 (or nearest year)
0.9
0.2 0
0.4
0.1
0 0.1 0.1 Notification rate 0.5 per 100 000 pop. 0.4 0.1 0.2 1.1 0 - 0.5 3.2 0.5 - 5 0.7 1.4 5 + 0.1
1.1 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.2 28.4 n.a. n.a. 8.9 n.a. 2.3 n.a. n.a. 0.3 0.3 9 n.a.
0 (Malta) 0.4
Note: Data refer to 2015 for Switzerland. Source: ECDC Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases. 1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933834718
3.25. Notification rate of hepatitis B, 2016
17.7
6.3 14.6
20.7
1.6
18.7 4.8 1.1 Notification rate 10.2 per 100 000 pop. 19.6 6.7 10 3.6 0 - 2 n.a 2 - 10 11.5 2.4 10 + 0.9
15 0.6 0.1 0.5 n.a. 2 n.a. 1 n.a n.a. 1.1 n.a. n.a n.a. 1.5 1.1 n.a. 0.2 1.8
7.6 (Malta) 0.0
Note: The comparability of data is limited due to differences in surveillance and reporting system (many countries with low rates only report acute cases, not chronic cases). Source: ECDC Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases. 1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933834737
HEALTH AT A GLANCE: EUROPE 2018 © OECD/EUROPEAN UNION 2018 101 From: Health at a Glance: Europe 2018 State of Health in the EU Cycle
Access the complete publication at: https://doi.org/10.1787/health_glance_eur-2018-en
Please cite this chapter as:
OECD/European Union (2018), “Notified cases of vaccine-preventable diseases”, in Health at a Glance: Europe 2018: State of Health in the EU Cycle, OECD Publishing, Paris/European Union, Brussels.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/health_glance_eur-2018-15-en
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