A new report from global health authorities has raised alarm over the significant rise in measles cases, marking the highest levels seen in Europe and Central Asia in over 25 years.
In 2024, more than 120,000 measles cases were reported across the region, a number that has doubled compared to 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
Measles cases in the European region, which includes parts of Central Asia, had been “generally declining” since a peak in 1997, when 216,000 cases were recorded. The number of cases reached a low of 4,440 in 2016. UNICEF reported that approximately 40 percent of measles infections in Europe and Central Asia were in children under five, and over half of those affected required hospitalization. Measles, one of the most contagious diseases globally, is spread by an airborne virus.
Two doses of the measles vaccine are considered 97 percent effective in preventing the disease, which primarily targets the respiratory system and causes symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash. In severe cases, measles can lead to complications like pneumonia, encephalitis, dehydration, and even blindness.
“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO’s Europe director, stated. “Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security,” he emphasized. Romania reported the highest number of measles cases, with over 30,000 infections, followed by Kazakhstan, with 28,147 cases.
WHO and UNICEF also pointed out that in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, fewer than 70 percent and 50 percent of children, respectively, have been vaccinated against measles in the past five years. To prevent outbreaks, scientists estimate that over 95 percent of the population must be immunized.
“Measles is pretty much completely vaccine-preventable. Two doses of the measles vaccines prevent infection, illness, and thus transmission,” said Dr. Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton in the UK. “With a high global uptake, the world could eradicate this disease. However, measles is incredibly infectious, more so than for example the COVID-19 variants. With even slight declines in vaccine uptake, outbreaks are inevitable,” he added.
Following a significant drop in immunization coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, measles cases surged in 2023 and 2024, with vaccination rates in many countries still lower than pre-pandemic levels.
