The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that measles cases in Europe have reached the highest level in the past 25 years, emphasizing the importance of vaccination. Hans Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, stated, “Measles have returned and this is a wake-up call.”

The WHO reported that by 2024, measles cases in Europe doubled, reaching the highest level in the past 25 years. The importance of vaccines to prevent the spread of the disease was highlighted. In the European region covering 53 countries, including Central Asia, a total of 127,350 measles cases and 38 deaths were recorded last year. Romania and Kazakhstan were the most affected countries, reporting 30,692 and 28,147 cases respectively. WHO stated that half of the cases in Europe required hospitalization, with 40% affecting children under five years old. “HEALTH SECURITY CANNOT BE ENSURED WITHOUT HIGH VACCINATION RATES”

Hans Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, said, “Measles have returned and this is a wake-up call. Health security cannot be ensured without high vaccination rates.” Kluge called on authorities to intensify vaccination efforts to protect underserved and unvaccinated communities. In 2023, 500,000 children in the region did not receive their first dose of vaccines. Kluge warned, “Health security cannot be ensured without high vaccination rates.” WHAT IS MEASLES? HOW DOES IT SPREAD?

Measles, a highly contagious disease, spreads through respiratory droplets and can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. The disease causes fever, respiratory symptoms, and skin rash, but can also lead to severe complications like pneumonia, encephalitis, and death. Europe accounted for one-third of the world’s measles cases in 2024. After a sharp decline in measles cases in Europe from 216,000 reported cases in 1997 to the lowest level of 4,440 cases in 2016, the disease re-emerged in 2018 and 2019, surging since 2023 following a decline in vaccinations during the Covid-19 pandemic.