The Directorate of Health
Publication of report on vaccination against respiratory infections
26th October 2026
For the first time, the Chief Epidemiologist has published a report reviewing the development of vaccination recommendations and vaccination uptake in Iceland during 2020–2025, covering the main respiratory infections for which official vaccination recommendations were in place.
In recent years, preventive measures available in Iceland for children against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have changed, as have those available for adults against influenza and pneumococcal disease. The report provides an overview of the situation before these changes and establishes a baseline for monitoring the impact of currently available preventive measures on the epidemiology of respiratory infections in the coming years.
The report also reviews the history of COVID-19 vaccination recommendations in Iceland. With the existing COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts now having expired, it is timely to reassess whether vaccination should continue to be recommended at the population level or whether recommendations should instead be based on individual clinical assessments.
The Chief Epidemiologst