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.
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Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks by the Iran-aligned group deepen regional tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was carrying out tests on a new weapon to intercept drones and had recorded a successful hit overnight.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is outlining the EU's priorities in her annual State of the Union address, covering security, support for Ukraine, trade with China, migration, climate and artificial intelligence.
Russian air strikes injured 13 and damaged buildings in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and in the Black Sea port city of Odesa in the early hours of Thursday, officials said on the Telegram messaging app.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he hoped the war against Iran was nearing its end and that Tehran wanted to reach a deal, but Iran dismissed his comments as “mixed signals” as the conflict approaches its seventh month.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 17 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of health.
Doctors in St. Louis have successfully separated Ethiopian two-year-old twin girls who were born joined at the head after a months-long series of complex operations culminating in a nearly 25-hour final procedure, doctors said on Wednesday.
Tobacco use may significantly reduce fertility in both men and women, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) publication that highlights growing evidence linking smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke with reproductive health problems.
A record-breaking heatwave that swept across western Europe in late June has been linked to more than 10,000 excess deaths, according to newly released mortality data, highlighting the growing human toll of extreme temperatures across the continent.
Authorities in Nigeria's Ondo State have launched an investigation after 24 people died and several others were hospitalised following the consumption of a locally produced herbal drink in communities in the country's southwest.
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