Faroese childhood vaccination rates drop after first year

The Faroese Health Authority reports a steady decline in vaccination coverage among children after their first year, with uptake falling progressively from the 15-month mark for each scheduled vaccine.

A new report, the first of its kind from the Health Authority—which has taken over the task from the Chief Medical Officer—analyses childhood vaccination records from 2012 to 2025, covering all children registered as residents in the Faroe Islands as of 31 December 2025.

The largest shortfall is in HPV vaccination. Among girls, coverage has dropped from around 70% for the 2007 cohort to 45% for the 2012 cohort, well below the WHO target of 90% coverage before age 15. For boys, the highest coverage was 47% in the 2008 cohort, falling to 34% in the 2012 cohort.

“The HPV vaccine protects against multiple types of cancer. It is crucial that both girls and boys receive it before their first potential exposure,” said Noomi Gregersen, director at the Health Authority.

The report will be published regularly to monitor trends and enable interventions where needed.