Irja Lutsar: Child vaccination in Estonia is causing growing concern

Virologist Irja Lutsar writes that child vaccination coverage in Estonia is concerningly low. She calls on every parent to honestly ask themselves why they have not vaccinated their children.

Child vaccination coverage in Estonia has been causing increasing concern in recent years, writes virologist Irja Lutsar in her opinion piece. The issue is no longer merely statistical — it directly affects children's health and society's broader protective mechanisms against infectious diseases.

Lutsar points out that every parent who has not vaccinated their child should honestly ask themselves what lies behind that decision. Is it justified fear, misleading information from the internet, or simply negligence? In her view, many decisions have been left unmade not through conscious deliberation, but as a result of passive avoidance.

Why is coverage declining?

The drop in vaccination coverage is not unique to Estonia — a similar trend has been observed in many European countries. Nevertheless, the problem is particularly acute in the Estonian context, because the population is small and high vaccination rates are necessary to maintain herd immunity. If coverage falls below a critical threshold, diseases once considered dangerous again become a real threat.

Lutsar emphasizes that vaccines are among the most effective health tools humanity has developed. Doubts about vaccine safety and efficacy are often based on misinformation spread by web environments that masquerade as reliable sources. It is therefore important for parents to turn to their family doctor with questions rather than seek answers on social media.

Responsibility lies with parents

The vaccination decision is not simply a personal choice — it affects everyone around you, including those who cannot be vaccinated themselves due to health conditions. Lutsar calls on parents to take this responsibility seriously and not allow their decision-making to be held back by unfounded fears.