Rise in pneumonia cases as vaccination rates decline, expert warns

Meltem Özgenç – ISTANBUL

Pneumonia cases are on the rise, with increasing reports of hospitalizations and fatalities in Türkiye amid falling vaccination rates, an expert has warned.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs and ranks among the top five causes of death worldwide.

Speaking to daily Hürriyet, Doctor Mehmet Ceyhan explained, “When illnesses such as flu, COVID-19 or measles weaken respiratory defenses, pneumonia can develop, sometimes proving fatal.”

He emphasized that individuals with suppressed immune systems — such as those suffering from cancer, diabetes, chronic lung, liver or kidney diseases — are particularly vulnerable.

Vaccination, he stressed, remains a key preventative measure.

“The pneumococcal vaccine significantly reduces pneumonia cases. Infant immunization is well established, but adult vaccination rates remain critically low at just 1 percent. Ideally, everyone over 60 should receive the pneumonia vaccine. ”

Flu vaccines also play a role in reducing pneumonia cases, yet their uptake stands at only 4 percent.

Ceyhan noted a visible surge in pneumonia cases and linked it to declining vaccination rates. “Due to vaccine hesitancy, childhood immunization rates in Türkiye have dropped,” he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the second-dose measles vaccine coverage has fallen to 94 percent, approaching the epidemic threshold. Previously, this figure stood at 97-98 percent.

”If a measles outbreak begins, it will not resemble COVID-19 — it could result in a significant rise in pneumonia-related deaths and severe health complications,” Ceyhan said.

The number of measles cases in Türkiye surged from just 4-11 annually between 2007 and 2011 to 2,340 in 2024.

Globally, declining vaccination rates have prompted 36 countries to introduce mandatory vaccination policies.