Tetanus - Annual Epidemiological Report 2024
Surveillance and monitoring
In 2024, 73 tetanus cases were reported in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), 15 of which (21%) were confirmed cases.
- The number of cases reported has been increasing since 2020, with 32 cases in 2021, 50 cases in 2022, 53 cases in 2022, and 73 cases each in 2023 and 2024. • A higher number of cases were reported among men than women, and adults 65 years and above were the most affected age group.
- In 2024, 19 fatal tetanus cases were reported (representing 28% of the 67 cases with a known outcome), mostly in men over 70 years.
- The current epidemiology in the EU/EEA may be explained by lower vaccination coverage and/or waning immunity among older populations.
- Although the EU/EEA population-weighted average vaccination coverage for diphtheria tetanus toxoid and pertussis (DTP3) among one-year-olds remained high for 2024 (92.6%), there was a slight decline compared with previous years (93.4% in 2020, 93.6% in 2021, 93.4% in 2022, 92.8% in 2023).
- Due to the severity of tetanus, there is a need to maintain high vaccination rates in all age groups and to continue developing and implementing strategies to protect specific groups – particularly the elderly – in countries with higher rates of disease.
Publication file
Tetanus - Annual Epidemiological Report 2024
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