There was an “alarming” nearly 45-fold increase in measles cases in Europe last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
Health chiefs are warning that cases are still rising and “urgent measures” are needed to prevent further spread.
Some 42,200 people were infected in 2023, compared to 941 during the whole of 2022.
The WHO believes this is a result of fewer children being vaccinated against the disease during the Covid pandemic.
In the UK, health officials said last week that an outbreak of highly contagious measles in the West Midlands could spread rapidly to other towns and cities with low vaccination rates.
More than 3.4 million children under the age of 16 are unprotected and at risk of becoming ill from the disease, according to NHS England.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
In the UK, health officials said last week that an outbreak of highly contagious measles in the West Midlands could spread rapidly to other towns and cities with low vaccination rates.
It often starts with a high fever and a rash, which normally clears up within 10 days - but complications can include pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures.
All countries in the European region are being asked to detect and respond to measles outbreaks quickly, alongside giving vaccines to more people.
“The Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted immunisation system performance in this period, resulting in an accumulation of un-[vaccinated] and under-vaccinated children,” the WHO reported.
With international travel booming once again, and social-distancing measures removed, the risk of measles spreading across borders and within communities is much greater - especially within under-vaccinated populations, it said.
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