Over 100,000 cases of measles have been reported in 47 out of 53 European countries since January last year – with over 90 measles-related deaths. More than 34,000 people across Europe contracted the disease in the first two months of 2019. The WHO is stepping up efforts to combat what they call a measles “outbreak” and are urging authorities to ensure vulnerable people get vaccinated. This is due to a rising number of number of adults and children affected and dying from measles, and officials blame persistent pockets of non-immunised or under-immunised individuals fuelling the spread of measles in many European countries.
There have been increasing reports of deaths in Ukraine, Romania and Albania – and officials fear the outbreak may continue to spread.
Dr Dorit Nitzan, Acting Regional Emergency Director at the WHO Regional Office for Europe said: “We have observed an unprecedented upsurge in people sick with this preventable disease, and too many have lost their lives to it.
“This is unacceptable and we need to be bolder and scale up our response to the next level. I am proud to see that different parts and levels of WHO are intensifying their combined efforts to stop these outbreaks.”
“WHO has been working closely with countries in the European Region to enhance their capacity to protect children from measles. However, this alarming resurgence is a warning that the Region’s immunisation coverage is not yet sufficient.
“Escalating our response will enable us to raise political awareness and will help in strengthening European health systems in the longer term to avoid future outbreaks.”
The WHO said in a statement: “If outbreak response is not timely and comprehensive, the virus will find its way into more pockets of vulnerable individuals and potentially spread to additional countries within and beyond the region.
“Every opportunity should be used to vaccinate susceptible children, adolescents and adults.”
The majority of measles cases have been reported in Ukraine, with more than 25,000 people infected in the January and February this year.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes rashes, fever and inflamed eyes including blindness, deafness or brain damage and even death.
It is one of the leading causes of death from a disease that can be prevented with a vaccine.