Vaccination policies for healthcare personnel in Europe, 2026
Vaccine·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128839
- PMID
- 42392011
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7167059675
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings highlight persistent variation in healthcare worker vaccination policies across Europe despite recent expansion. The authors note that harmonized, evidence-based policies are needed to protect both healthcare personnel and patients amid resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study examined vaccination policies for healthcare personnel across 34 European countries in 2026, focusing on the range of vaccines included, mandatory versus recommended status, and changes since 2018.
Study design
This was a policy review covering vaccination requirements and recommendations for healthcare workers in European countries. The design involved cataloging vaccination policies by disease target and implementation framework.
Population and setting
The population of interest was healthcare personnel and healthcare students in 34 European countries. Policies varied by target personnel groups and whether vaccination was required for employment.
Main findings
All 34 countries maintained hepatitis B vaccination policies for healthcare workers, 33 had influenza policies, and 22 had COVID-19 policies. Sixteen countries mandated specific vaccinations, with nine requiring them as an employment prerequisite. Compared to 2018, vaccination programs expanded to include an average of four additional vaccines, though gaps remained for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and pertussis in several countries.
Public-health relevance
The findings highlight persistent variation in healthcare worker vaccination policies across Europe despite recent expansion. The authors note that harmonized, evidence-based policies are needed to protect both healthcare personnel and patients amid resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Important limitations
This summary relies on the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. Decision-grade interpretation of study limitations, data collection methods, and policy implementation details requires review of the original paper.
GIDS interpretation
This article would be discoverable through disease-specific queries for vaccine-preventable infections including COVID-19, influenza, measles, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis, as well as through health policy and vaccination topic filters. The multi-disease scope supports comparative policy analysis.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 11 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.