EUROPE was rocked by fresh measles fears as cases surged to their highest level in over 25 years.
Global health officials warned rates of the lethal Victorian disease had doubled in the past year alone.
They said that low measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab uptake threatens even further spread of one of the world’s most infectious diseases.
In 2024, over 127,350 measles cases were reported across the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European region – the highest number since 1997.
This also marks a dramatic jump from just 4,400 cases in 2016.
A report from WHO and UNICEF published today revealed that children under five made up more than 40 per cent of these cases.
“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” said Hans Henri P Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, in a statement.
“Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.”
The UN health arm stated that measles infections in the region – which spans 53 countries from the Atlantic to the Pacific – had “risen significantly” since the pandemic.
Cases, they added, had been declining since 1997, but the trend reversed in 2018-19 and cases rose significantly in 2023-24 “following a backsliding in immunisation coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic”.
“Vaccination rates in many countries are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, increasing the risk of outbreaks,” they warned.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97 per cent effective in fighting off the dangerous virus that usually starts with cold-like symptoms before developing into a blotchy rash.
It can cause serious complications if the virus spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain – sometimes leading to lifelong disabilities and even death.
Babies, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems are the most vulnerable.
In the past month, the US recorded two measles-related deaths, both in unvaccinated individuals.
It’s the first time the US has seen deaths from measles since 2015.
In February, the NHS urged families planning trips to Morocco this Easter to make sure they were jabbed first, following an outbreak of measles in the country.
Earlier this year, UK health officials raised alarms over a rise in cases and urged parents to get millions of children vaccinated.
Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF regional director for Europe and Central Asia, added: “Measles cases across Europe and Central Asia have soared over the past two years – pointing to gaps in immunization coverage.
“To protect children from this deadly and debilitating disease, we need urgent government action including sustained investment in health care workers”.
More than 50,000 of the 127,350 cases of measles in 2024. – involved children under the age of five
And about 60 per cent of all of the people who became ill required hospitalisation.
Romania saw the highest number of cases, with 30,692, followed by Russia and Kazakhstan.
The UK reported 2,900 cases in 2024, with London accounting for nearly half of them.
Italy, Germany, Austria, and Belgium also saw significant outbreaks.
To prevent outbreaks, health experts recommend at least 95 per cent of the population be vaccinated.
In Romania, the country hardest hit by the outbreak, vaccination coverage dropped from 92 per cent to 78 per cent between 2013 and 2023, falling well below the critical threshold needed to prevent widespread transmission.
In the UK, vaccination rates among children are just under 90 per cent.
The main symptoms of measles
MEASLES is highly contagious and can cause serious problems in some people.
The infection usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth.
The first signs include:
- A high temperature
- A runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- A cough
- Red, sore, watery eyes
Small white spots may then appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips a few days later.
A rash tends to come next. This usually starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
The spots are sometimes raised and join together to form blotchy patches. They are not normally itchy.
The rash looks brown or red or white skin. It may be harder to see on darker skin.
Complications are rare, but measles can lead to pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, seizures, and sometimes death.
Source: NHS
MISINFORMATION
Last month, British officials raised concerns over a spike in cases, with nearly 100 confirmed cases in January alone, pushing the total to almost 3,000 for the year.
A major outbreak in Birmingham last year was soon overtaken by a large surge in London, with smaller clusters in other regions.
Experts urged parents to check their child’s vaccination status, warning that anti-vaccine beliefs, partly fueled by misinformation during the Covid pandemic, may be contributing to the crisis.
Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine warned people against trusting unverified information on their social media.
He said: “We also learnt from the Covid-19 vaccination programme that misinformation can travel rapidly and can influence people’s decisions.
“It’s important to be mindful that the vaccine information on social media may not be based on scientific evidence.”
Expert answers MMR questions
TO help deal with parental concerns, Professor Helen Bedford, a specialist in child public health at University College London, tells you all you need to know about the MMR vaccine.
When is the vaccine given?
The MMR vaccine is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme.
It’s typically given via a single shot into the muscle of the thigh or the upper arm.
The first dose is offered to children at the age of one (babies younger than this may have some protection from antibodies passed on from their mother, which start to wear off at about 12 months.)
The second dose is then offered to children aged three years and four months before they start school.
To check to see if you or your child have had the recommended two doses of MMR, you can look at their/your Personal Child Health Record, also known as the red book.
If you can’t find the red book, call your GP and ask them for your vaccine records.
You are never too old to catch up with your MMR vaccine.
If you see from your vaccination records that you did not receive two doses as a child, you can book a vaccination appointment.
Is the vaccine safe?
The MMR vaccine is safe and effective at preventing measles, mumps and rubella.
In the UK, we started using the jab in 1988, so we have decades of experience using it.
The jab is made from much-weakened live versions of the three viruses.
This triggers the immune system to produce antibodies that are protective in the face of future exposure.
It takes up to three weeks after having the vaccine to be fully protected.
Like any vaccine, the MMR jab can cause side-effects, which are usually mild and go away very quickly.
This includes rash, high temperature, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell for about two or three days.
There is also a very small chance children can have a severe allergic reaction.
But compared to the complications of measles, there is no contest that vaccination is by far the safest and most effective route to take.
Why was it linked with autism?
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a now-discredited paper in medical journal The Lancet.
The paper suggested that the MMR vaccine might be associated with autism and a form of bowel disease.
It led to a sharp decline in vaccination rates.
Even at the time, the research was considered poor.
The Lancet retracted the story in 2010 after Wakefield’s article was found “dishonest” by the General Medical Council.
He was later struck off and subsequently, in 2011, the British Medical Journal declared the story fraudulent.
Does it contain ingredients from pigs?
There are two types of MMR jabs: One with gelatin (animal/pig collagen), and one without it.
For some religious groups, the inclusion of pig products is not acceptable.
Those people should ask for the vaccine without gelatin.
