Saturday, October 12, 2024

17 European countries affected by measles as cases rise in 2024

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Parents planning summer getaways are being urgently advised to ensure their children are vaccinated as measles cases have seen a dramatic rise in recent months, affecting 17 popular holiday destinations across Europe.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDP) reported that a staggering 1,671 cases of the potentially fatal disease were recorded in April alone, with Romania, Poland and Belgium being some of the hardest hit areas, reporting 957, 84 and 76 cases respectively.




France, Austria, The Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Portugal have all witnessed an upsurge in the illness. Additionally, a smaller number of cases have been detected in Sweden, Lithuania, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Croatia, Hungary and Estonia.

These alarming figures follow the report of 10,887 measles cases across Europe over the past year, resulting in seven fatalities from the infection. A significant majority of these infections, 87%, occurred in individuals who had not been vaccinated.

Health experts are now strongly encouraging parents to consider administering the MMR vaccine to their children in an effort to reduce the risk of infection and potential severe complications should they contract the disease. Earlier this month, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a warning to parents to remain vigilant following a substantial increase in UK cases at the beginning of the year.

This year, England has been hit by a significant measles outbreak, with almost 900 cases reported in 2024 so far, dwarfing the 368 cases recorded in 2023. The country has experienced more instances of the disease in the first four months of this year than in the entirety of the previous year, reports Wales Online.

“Most of the cases have been in London, although there have been cases picked up across the country and some are linked to travel abroad,” according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Alarmingly, vaccination rates for the potentially fatal illness have plummeted to a 12-year low, with just 84% of children receiving both doses of the MMR vaccine (which protects against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) by the age of five. To effectively prevent outbreaks and safeguard those who cannot be vaccinated, coverage needs to exceed 90%.

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