Eurosurveillance - Volume 30, Issue 34, 28 August 2025

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. Vaccination against pertussis is included in the Italian vaccination programme with three doses administered at 3, 5 and 11 months, booster doses at 6 and 12–18 years, and every 10 years. Vaccination coverage in Tuscany is high among infants (97.7% vs 94.7% national average at 24 months) and adolescents (75.8% vs 68.4% national average at 16 years).

We aimed to investigate case numbers, vaccination status and time points for vaccination of children and adolescents hospitalised for pertussis.

We collected data on children and adolescents aged ≤ 16 years and hospitalised for laboratory-confirmed pertussis in 2016–2024 at a tertiary hospital in Tuscany.

A total of 384 children and adolescents were hospitalised in 2016–2024. Annual case numbers increased from an average of 28.2 cases in 2016–2019 to 259 cases in 2024, with 136 (52.5%) cases in adolescents. Of the 107 cases aged 12–16 years, 93 (86.9%) were unvaccinated or had not received the second booster. A considerable time gap between the earliest eligible day for vaccination and hospitalisation was observed. In infants, a median of 31 days (interquartile range (IQR): 10–131 days) was noticed for the first dose, 44 days (IQR: 22–70 days) for the second and 53 days for the third. In 12–16-year-olds, a median of 395 days (IQR: 236–717) was seen for the second booster.

Administering adolescent booster doses earlier, vaccinating at the earliest eligible time points, and promoting timely vaccination through targeted communication campaigns may reduce pertussis-related hospitalisations.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) provision routes across Europe differ notably between governmental and non-governmental pathways. The introduction of long-acting (LA)-PrEP may further diversify provision dynamics.

We investigated disparities in PrEP access and whether access pathways determine oral PrEP use patterns and LA-PrEP intention among PrEP-experienced men who have sex with men (MSM).

Using data from 7,505 PrEP-experienced MSM from a cross-sectional survey (PROTECT; 20 European countries, October 2023–April 2024), we used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify MSM's latent socioeconomic positions (SEPs), and logistic regression to compare the likelihood of accessing governmental/non-governmental pathways, and compare oral PrEP adherence, discontinuation and LA-PrEP intention between governmental/non-governmental pathways.

Most MSM accessed PrEP via governmental pathways (n = 6,671; 88.9%), 11.1% (n = 834) used non-governmental pathways. The LCA identified three groups: employed MSM with more advantaged SEPs, younger MSM with less advantaged SEPs, and older MSM with more advantaged SEPs. Compared with the first group, younger MSM with less advantaged SEPs were significantly more likely to access PrEP via non-governmental pathways (aOR = 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–1.55). Accessing PrEP via non-governmental pathways was associated with suboptimal adherence (aOR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.03–1.58), discontinuation (aOR = 3.55; 95% CI: 2.99–4.21), but also higher LA-PrEP intention (aOR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.06–1.56).

Inequalities exist in PrEP access among MSM in Europe. While non-governmental pathways offer opportunities to engage MSM with less advantaged SEPs, oral PrEP use patterns via this pathway were not optimal. Tailored efforts should ensure that PrEP is accessible and affordable to enhance current use and prepare for future LA-PrEP modalities.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan capable of infecting warm-blooded animal species and humans. Although toxoplasmosis presents mostly as mild or asymptomatic infection in immunocompetent individuals, in unborn children and people with weakened immune systems, the disease can be severe with ocular, neurological or multi-systemic manifestations and even death.

We aimed to collate and analyse data on T. gondii seroprevalence in humans to model and compare age-dependent prevalence in geographic regions in Europe.

A systematic review identified 1,822 scientific publications, from which seroprevalence data were extracted from 69 studies. Data were analysed using a Bayesian hierarchical model.

The modelling of the seroprevalence indicated the highest incidence rates in eastern (50%) and western (48%) Europe, with the lowest estimates in northern Europe (18%) and the United Kingdom (UK) (18%). Eastern and western Europe were regions where T. gondii infections occurred earliest in life, with half of the population expected to be seropositive by the age of 44 and 47 years, respectively. In contrast, in northern Europe and the UK the modelled median time to infection exceeded 170 years.

Results of the study provide a robust baseline for future epidemiological research on human T. gondii infections in Europe and may be useful to validate subsequent research, such as risk assessment studies.