Measles resurgence alarms European health officials
The World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe has issued a warning about the alarming increase in measles cases in the region. According to the WHO, between January and October 2023, over 30,000 cases were reported from 40 of the region’s 53 member states. This marks a more than 30-fold increase compared to the 941 cases reported in all of 2022.
Hans Kluge, the regional director of WHO Europe, emphasized that the surge in measles cases has also led to almost 21,000 hospital admissions and 5 measles-related deaths. Kluge stressed that vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease. Urgent efforts are needed to stop transmission and prevent further spread, he added.
The resurgence of measles is largely attributed to the decline in vaccination coverage during 2020-2022, with the COVID-19 pandemic having a significant impact on the performance of the immunization system. Reported national first-dose vaccine coverage in the region dropped from 96% in 2019 to 93% in 2022, while second-dose coverage dropped from 92% in 2019 to 91% in 2022. More than 1.8 million newborns in the region did not receive measles vaccination between 2020 and 2022.
The resumption of national and international travel and the removal of anti-COVID measures have also increased the risk of cross-border transmission of measles. The WHO emphasized the importance of identifying and addressing immunization inequalities across countries to achieve and maintain high vaccination coverage in every community.
In response to the alarming resurgence of measles cases, intensified activities and vaccination catch-up campaigns have been launched in several countries. WHO Europe, in collaboration with partners, is supporting areas affected by large outbreaks to conduct case investigations, identify and vaccinate susceptible contacts, and improve disease surveillance.
The WHO urged all countries, even those that may not yet have ongoing measles transmission, to carefully evaluate their own immunity gaps and program weaknesses and take immediate action to address them. Achieving and maintaining coverage above 95% with 2 doses of measles vaccine should be the top priority for all countries in the region.
The WHO’s warning comes as a call to action for urgent measures to be taken across the European region to prevent further spread of measles and protect the population from this potentially dangerous disease.