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Measles outbreak 2017/18 in Europe, the highest level in a decade
"The total number of people infected with the virus in 2018 was the highest of this decade," said the WHO in a statement.
The agency said that a record number of children get vaccinated against the disease – letting hope that the increase in the number of infections might not last.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause hearing loss and brain disorders in children and can even, in severe cases, kill.
The number of measles cases in Europe has more than tripled between 2017 and 2018, the highest rate in a decade, the World Health Organization said. According to data recently published by the WHO, in 2018, more than 82,000 people were infected with the disease and 72 people died in Europe. In 2017, there were more than 25,000 cases of measles in Europe and 42 deaths.
"The total number of people infected with the virus in 2018 was the highest of this decade," said the WHO in a statement.
At the same time, the agency announced that a record number of children are being vaccinated against the disease, which gives hope that the increase in infections may not last.
The increase in the number of measles cases could be due to an increasing number of pockets in which parents refuse to vaccinate their children, added the WHO.
"Progress has been uneven across and within countries, leaving more and more groups of people unprotected and leading to a record number of people affected by the virus by 2018," he said. the press release.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause hearing loss and brain disorders in children and can even, in severe cases, kill.
Immunization coverage should be about 95% to prevent the virus from circulating in communities.
The countries with the highest number of measles cases in 2018 in the European region are: Ukraine: 52 218 cases; Serbia: 5,075 cases; Israel: 2,919 cases; France: 2,913 cases and Italy 2,513 cases
Vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella in Ukraine have dropped sharply during its conflict with Russia, and in many countries anti-vaccine activists are trying to dissuade parents from vaccinating their children, despite strong scientific evidence of effective vaccine safety.
In Italy, the Five Star Movement, an anti-establishment co-leader, questioned the safety of some vaccines and strongly denounced efforts to make vaccinations mandatory.
Heidi Larson, Vaccine and Public Health Specialist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the increase in the number of cases was a "call to the need to build confidence in immunization."
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