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Measles cases in the European region surged to a 25-year high in 2024, more than doubling from the previous year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF reported on Thursday, urging immediate action to restore vaccination levels that declined after the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to WHO data, 127,350 measles cases were reported across 53 European and Central Asian countries last year. Over 40% of those infected were children under the age of five.
"Measles is back, and it's a wake-up call," said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, warning that low immunisation rates are fuelling outbreaks.
UNICEF highlighted that while pandemic disruptions initially weakened healthcare systems, ongoing misinformation about vaccines has played a critical role in the decline of immunisation rates.
"During the pandemic and in its aftermath, we saw a rise in the spread of misinformation which has led to an increase in hesitancy around vaccines," said Fatima Cengic, UNICEF’s immunisation specialist for the region.
The WHO noted that many countries have yet to return to pre-pandemic vaccination levels, putting millions at risk. The agency recommends at least 95% vaccine coverage to prevent outbreaks, but in 2023, first-dose vaccination rates in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Romania remained below 80%.
Romania reported the highest number of measles cases in the region last year, with 30,692 infections, followed by Kazakhstan with 28,147 cases.
Measles outbreaks have also made headlines in the United States. A surge in Texas and New Mexico led to the country’s first measles-related deaths in a decade, with cases rising to 256 this week. The outbreak poses an early challenge for U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known vaccine sceptic.
Meanwhile, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters that the White House is withdrawing President Donald Trump’s nomination of vaccine critic Dave Weldon to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses affecting humans, with complications ranging from pneumonia and encephalitis to immune system damage.
The WHO and UNICEF have urged governments to boost public awareness and ensure stronger vaccination campaigns to prevent further outbreaks.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is facing its first lawsuits in the United Kingdom over claims that its talc-based products cause cancer, as it continues to battle tens of thousands of similar cases in the United States.
The World Health Organization on Monday issued a health advisory warning about three contaminated cough syrups identified in India, urging authorities to report any detection of these medicines in their countries to the health agency.
Around 6,000 students in Malaysia have been infected with influenza and some schools have been closed for the safety of children and staff, an education ministry official said.
Indian police have arrested the owner of Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, the cough syrup company linked to the deaths of at least 19 children in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, a senior police officer told Reuters on Thursday.
More than 200 health facilities in war-hit eastern Congo have run out of medicines due to widespread looting and supply chain disruptions during fighting this year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday.
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