Which EU Country Has the Highest Flu Vaccination Rate?

Key Takeaways

• Europe does not have high flu vaccination rates. The EU average for people 65 and older is 45.49% in 2024.
• Ireland has the EU’s highest flu vaccination rate at 75.71%. Denmark follows closely at 75.6%. Both are the only two EU countries above the 75% target.
• Ireland’s rate did not start this high. Pharmacies distributed just 4.2% of flu vaccines when they joined the national program in 2011, rising to 29% by the 2022-23 season.
• Free or subsidized access appears to matter, not just awareness. An Irish study found people with free vaccine access were almost twice as likely to be vaccinated as those paying out of pocket.
• Slovakia (11.0%), Poland (12.2%), and Latvia (16.7%) rank lowest in the EU. A study of primary care patients in Poland found that feeling healthy, not cost, is the top reason people skip the shot.

Flu Vaccination Rate by EU Country for People Aged 65 and Over

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Ireland Has the EU’s Highest Flu Vaccination Rate

The EU average for flu vaccination rates is 45.49% in 2024. That number covers people aged 65 and older.

It is far short of the 75% vaccination target the EU set in 2009 for people on this age group.

Ireland (75.71%) and Denmark (75.6%) are the only two member states that reach it.

Ireland’s rate did not start this high. Community pharmacies joined the national flu vaccination program in 2011.

Pharmacies distributed just 4.2% of vaccines that year. By the 2022-23 season, they administered 29% of all flu vaccines given in Ireland.

Pharmacy access made getting the shot easier. Patients no longer needed a separate GP appointment to get vaccinated.

Cost also plays a role. Ireland’s medical card gives free healthcare access to lower-income residents, including flu vaccination.

An Irish study of adults 50 and older found medical card holders were almost twice as likely to have been vaccinated as those without one. That gap held even after accounting for age and chronic illness.

Feeling Healthy Is the Top Reason EU Countries Rank Lowest

Slovakia (11.0%), Poland (12.2%), and Latvia (16.7%) rank lowest in the EU for 2024. All three sit far below both the EU average and the 75% target.

A study of primary care patients in Poland asked unvaccinated adults why they skipped the flu shot.

• The top reason is that they felt healthy. This reason was cited by 27.6% of respondents.
• Distrust in the vaccine’s effectiveness followed at 16.8%.
• Cost ranked third at 9.7%.

That ordering matters. It reveals a perception problem in vaccination as much as an access or affordability one.

Ireland shows that access and cost can raise a vaccination rate. Poland shows that many people who skip the shot do not think they need it.