Measles infections likely to surge across Europe in the coming months

Cases in Europe are expected to rise in the coming months, the ECDC warned, citing seasonal trends and low vaccination rates. With over 32,000 cases reported in the past year—mostly in Romania—health officials stress the urgent need for higher immunization to prevent further outbreaks.

Measles cases in Europe are expected to rise in the coming months, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned on Tuesday.

According to the agency, the number of infections is likely to increase in spring 2025 due to the disease’s seasonal pattern. Between February 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025, 32,265 measles cases were reported, with Romania accounting for the majority—27,568 cases and 18 deaths. Ireland also recorded one fatality.

Italy experienced the second-highest number of cases, slightly over 1,000, while Germany, Belgium, and Austria each confirmed fewer than 1,000 infections.

The ECDC highlighted that ongoing transmission reflects gaps in vaccination coverage among children, adolescents, and adults. Measles spreads rapidly through the air and is highly contagious, particularly in unvaccinated populations.

To curb outbreaks and protect vulnerable individuals, at least 95% of eligible people should receive two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the agency emphasized.

In a February 2024 report, the ECDC noted that half of Romania’s measles-related deaths at the time were infants too young to be vaccinated.

Meanwhile, in the United States, an unvaccinated six-year-old girl in Texas recently became the country's first measles fatality in a decade, with another death reported in New Mexico earlier this month.

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measles outbreak Vaccination