Global vaccine coverage, which had made significant progress in the past 40 years, is now stagnating. Very common vaccines are struggling g to reach all children. The global goal of eradicating certain diseases has become increasingly elusive in recent years, particularly in unstable countries and war zones. Moreover, growing vaccine scepticism, including in advanced countries, is posing another challenge.
New data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reveals that, in 2025, the global share of one-year-olds who had received common childhood vaccinations like polio, tetanus, tuberculosis and Hepatitis B rose very little. This means that some 12-16% of one-year-olds have not received these vaccines.
Some of these trends have also become evident in Malta, especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic. There has been a drop of 10 percentage points in the uptake of the second dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine for children since 2022 - the lowest level in almost 15 years. This has raised concern among health professionals.
Despite Malta's strong childhood immunisation rate, the Superintendence of Public Health has flagged "warning signs" because 2023 and 2024 data show a clear "dip" in the second-dose uptake. Until 2022, Malta was among Europe's highest-rated countries for vaccination uptake, with around 95% of live births receiving the MMR 2. However, the rate dropped to 85% last year.
Paediatrician Robert Cassar is increasingly worried about vaccine hesitancy. He is coming across more parents who insist on delaying the MMR vaccine until their children are older - around two or three. "What is bad is that they do it... but late. These parents claim they are not against the vaccine but simply not happy to administer it at the recommended age of one," Cassar notes.
The reason the vaccine is given at the age of one is that babies are partially protected through antibodies passed during pregnancy and by herd immunity, which is very fragile. If over 95-98 per cent of the population is protected, the community is unlikely to experience outbreaks. But when people insist on delaying, that percentage can drop, "leading to trouble" not only for that child but also for others. The Health Ministry has also underscored the "sad reality that some parents blatantly refuse or delay vaccinations, thinking it is in the best interest of their children."
The rise in misinformation, some general complacency, and a decrease in the perceived risk of historically devastating diseases like measles are contributing to increased parental refusal or delays in vaccination. Social media, on which most people nowadays rely for their information, often omit the real consequences of contracting certain diseases.
Policymakers need to take measures to reverse the trend through information education campaigns. Experts in the field say that behavioural 'nudges' ̶ gentle prompts aimed to help people make better decisions for themselves while preserving their freedom of choice ̶ are not enough. Such nudges have been shown to increase childhood, adolescent, and adult immunisation uptake in the general population, but their appropriateness for reducing hesitancy is unclear.
Some solutions could include training healthcare providers, community, and faith and industry leaders to act as 'vaccine champions' who can discuss vaccination and address misinformation, thus rebuilding confidence in vaccines. Vaccine champions can deliver training and advocacy tailored for their own communities and workplaces, and they can positively impact social norms.
Scam epidemic
Malta is facing a rapidly expanding online scam epidemic. Many citizens encounter daily inconveniences in the form of spam texts. Increasingly, some are suffering the loss of retirement funds or life savings. Digital technology, which drives economic growth and generates economic benefits, is also being used by bad actors.
Tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), instant payments, and encrypted messaging are being weaponised by scammers, transforming fraud into a fast-scaling, cross-border industry. Scammers have become super sophisticated, exploiting these technological advancements and people's emotional vulnerabilities to achieve their goals.
The last few weeks have seen many examples. A 36-year-old chef, Lyon Bonnici, and 32-year-old Samantha Chetcuti were charged in Court, accused of defrauding Louis Bellizzi of over €.10,000 over a three-month span. Belllizzi is a benefactor assisting Caritas in helping former prison inmates reintegrate into society.
The couple repeatedly targeted the benefactor by allegedly fabricating false bills and invoices resembling official legal fees from a well-known Maltese lawyer. They also faked rental treatment expenses being paid by an 'ex-prison inmate.' Eventually, Bellizzi realised that something was wrong and filed a Police report.
Late last year, 44-year-old Annabella Azzopardi, a Learning Support Educator from Ħaż-Żebbuġ, was convicted of money laundering and receiving proceeds of crime after transferring thousands of euros linked to an international romance scam targeting an elderly Maltese woman.
The case stemmed from a scam in which a 70-year-old woman was tricked into sending €38,650 to Azzopardi, who thought she was helping an 'American doctor' stationed in Yemen. Azzopardi then transferred the money to Ella Shevela, allegedly a Ukrainian colleague of the 'American doctor.' The beneficiary was, in reality, Sunni Ogiewomgi, a Nigerian national who lived in Greece.
Azzopardi herself was the victim of the scammer. She had met Sunni during a 2022 holiday in Greece. After revisiting Greece to meet him again, they soon developed a relationship. Although initially hesitant, she became embroiled in the scam, thinking that the money she obtained would enable him to travel to Malta for both romantic and humanitarian reasons.
There are no limits to scammers' ingenuity. In fact, the more far-fetched their stories are, the more credible they appear to be to their intended victims. The Arbiter for Financial Services, Alfred Mifsud, recently referred to some of the more egregious ones.
One of them concerned a semi-retired airline training captain. Taking advantage of his precarious emotional state after the death of his father-in-law and the resulting sale of his estate, scammers persuaded the captain to transfer more than €713,000 to be invested in cryptocurrencies. Needless to say, he never saw the money back.
Criminals have raised the ante in sophisticated fraud through the use of AI. They have used it to mimic the voices of celebrities, and even those of the victims' family and friends, which has enabled them to carry out the crime on a greater scale. As a result, people are more susceptible to being scammed - something that often happens at a vulnerable moment, even if the victims do not consider themselves vulnerable to being tricked.
The onus of countering such scams has fallen largely on the banks. Undoubtedly, they need to get their act together, but they cannot remain the sole line of defence. Stronger and enforceable responsibilities need to be placed on tech platforms, social media channels, and online marketplaces. This could include stronger rules requiring removal of fraudulent advertising, the verification of sellers, and secure payment systems.
Irregular in more ways than one
At the behest of the Minister of Home Affairs and Security, the Police have been detaining people found to be living irregularly in Malta. The latest instance happened in Gozo, when 31 people were found without a residence permit and taken to a detention centre while awaiting repatriation to their countries of origin in Africa, Asia, and other parts of Europe.
The police stated they would continue conducting targeted inspections across the country to address irregular migration, breaches of labour laws, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Naturally, I expect that they will also continue to regale us with pictures of the people being detained.
What I find amusing in this is that the Police seem to have a particularly warped understanding of their duties. While we all think that they are there to uphold the law, in effect they often act only when told to do so by the Executive. Illegal immigration is nothing new, but before the 'over-population' issue became a hot potato, the Police were not bothered by irregulars.
The other not-so-amusing thing I notice is that the authorities do not publicise cases of businessmen who commit breaches of labour laws. Whether this is because they fail to pursue the cases concerned in the courts, or simply forget to inform us of them, is an interesting question.
Under siege
Valletta residents recently had to cope with widespread road closures and parking restrictions during weekend-long filming in the capital. The residents living on the affected streets were informed of the road closures just two days before.
Malta Today reported the closure under the heading "Valletta's second siege." An eye-catching title for sure, but rather a hyperbole. I know that the word does not have to refer just to the siege of 1565 and can be used in a figurative sense, but even then, the residents are hardly being constantly overwhelmed by frequent road closures.
I sympathise with the affected residents who will suffer some inconveniences and disruptions to their lives. However, we cannot stop economic activity just because of occasional inconveniences to some people. After all, in Valletta there are at least five parishes that organise annual feasts, causing disruptions over weekends. Quite understandably, people are prepared to live with the inconvenience these feasts cause.
I realise that, apart from film productions, Valletta also hosts many concerts, state activities, conferences, and other events. All these activities naturally result in constant traffic congestion, crowds, noise and air pollution, and disruptions to residents. It's part of the daily grind of living in a capital city and can take a serious toll. However, this shouldn't mean that the authorities and commercial enterprises have no obligation to reduce the disruption and inconvenience they cause to the lowest possible level.
Quote of the week
"I've had it, I want to close the business." - Donald Caligari Conti, owner of well-known Vittorioso restaurant Tal-Petut, expressing frustration at the recent power cuts.