No 42/43 - 2026

Annual report on invasive pneumococcal disease for the year 2025

• In 2025, 710 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) were detected in Denmark. This is an increase from the 614 cases detected in 2024.
• The most frequent cause of invasive pneumococcal disease in 2025 was the detection of pneumococci in the blood (septicaemia), with 614 cases. There were 82 cases of meningitis.
• Invasive pneumococcal disease particularly affects older people. Of the 710 cases, 424 (60%) were in the age group 65 years and over.
• Vaccination against pneumococci is part of the Danish childhood vaccination programme.
• Vaccination against pneumococci should be considered for persons at increased risk of IPD. The conditions covered and the vaccines available are described on SSI's website.

For a more detailed description, please refer to the annual report on invasive pneumococcal disease in 2025.

Invasive pneumococcal disease, an overview

Statens Serum Institut (SSI) monitors the occurrence of, among other things, septicaemia and meningitis caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Such infections are also called ‘invasive pneumococcal disease’, or ‘IPD’. Surveillance is carried out using data from hospital laboratories as well as additional analyses of the bacteria themselves performed at SSI. Read more about pneumococci and IPD here.

Since 2007, children have been offered free vaccination against pneumococci as part of the childhood vaccination programme at the ages of 3, 5 and 12 months. In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, there was also a temporary programme for persons aged 65 years and over. Pneumococcal vaccines protect against a number of common subtypes of pneumococci, but do not protect against all types. Conditional reimbursement for vaccination may be granted to certain groups at risk of a severe course of IPD.

Invasive pneumococcal disease in 2025

In 2025, 710 cases of IPD were registered in Denmark among persons with a Danish civil registration (CPR) number. By comparison, 625 and 614 cases were registered in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Of the 710 cases of IPD in 2025, there were 82 cases of meningitis, 614 of septicaemia and 14 of infection in the joints, pleura or peritoneum.

Children under 2 years of age and persons aged 65 years and over are at increased risk of IPD. In 2025, 11 of the cases were among children aged 0–1 year (1.5%) and 424 (60%) were in the age group 65 years and over. Figure 1 shows the number of IPD cases among all ages since 2000. The sharp decline during COVID-19 is clearly visible in the figure – this was primarily due to the infection prevention measures in place at the time.

A total of 83 persons (12%) died within 30 days after detection of IPD in 2025. Of these, 62 (75%) were aged 65 years and over. In 2023 and 2024, 88 and 90 deaths per year, respectively, were registered in connection with IPD.

(T. Dalby, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, Aoife Ronayne, Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi)