(March 13): Measles cases in Europe surged last year to the highest level since 1997, pointing to gaps in vaccination coverage, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe. “Every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities.”

Some 127,350 measles cases were reported in the region for 2024, double the number for the year before, according to an analysis by the WHO and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund published Thursday. Cases had generally been declining since 1997, but have seen a recent resurgence. Vaccination rates in many countries have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, increasing the risk of outbreaks, the WHO and UNICEF said in a statement.

Children under five accounted for more than 40% of reported cases in the region — which for the study comprised 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia. A total of 38 deaths have been reported, based on preliminary data received as of March 6, the statement said.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses affecting people. It can lead to hospitalisation and death caused by complications, including pneumonia and diarrhoea. It can also cause long-term problems such as blindness and can leave survivors vulnerable to other diseases.

“There has been a trend of declining routine childhood immunisation coverage,” said Ben Kasstan-Dabush, assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “Many people may not have a memory of the consequences of infections like measles.”

The virus has also popped up in the US, where an un-vaccinated child died in Texas last month, marking the first such death in the country in a decade. The outbreak has since continued to spread in the state.

In the European region, Romania reported the highest number of cases in 2024, followed by Kazakhstan. Less than 80% of eligible children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Romania were vaccinated against the virus in 2023, below the 95% coverage rate required to retain herd immunity.

The two bodies called on governments with active outbreaks to “urgently intensify case finding, contact tracing and conduct emergency vaccination campaigns”.

“Reaching hesitant parents and marginalised communities and tackling inequitable access to vaccines must be central to all efforts,” the WHO and UNICEF said.

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