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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The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow also halts strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
Visitors to Armenia could face temperature screening after a lab worker died from suspected Pneumonic plague in Russia, Yerevan’s Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan told lawmakers on Wednesday, Armenian state news agency Armenpress reported.
Health advice now reaches people through social media, fitness apps, wearable technology and AI. From detoxes and protein-focused diets to skincare and fitness trends, online wellness content is shaping everyday health choices while raising concerns about misinformation and potential risks.
Global cholera deaths reached their highest annual level in more than 20 years in 2025, despite a decline in reported cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Chinese researchers have developed the world’s smallest CT scanner, a portable device designed to produce images of tiny fossils and archaeological relics.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 17 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of health.
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