Warning of ‘alarming’ 45-fold rise in measles cases across Europe as WHO chiefs urge parents to ensure children have had both MMR jabs before going on holiday
Measles cases are rising at an “alarming” rate across Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Global health leaders said there has been a 45-fold increase on the continent, with international travel threatening to fuel the spread.
More than 42,000 cases were reported by Member States in 2023, compared to 941 cases in all of 2022.
They said cases have “increased in recent months” and urged parents to ensure their children are fully vaccinated before traveling abroad.
It comes after Britain declared a ‘national incident’ and launched its own campaigns to encourage parents to get millions of children vaccinated against mumps, mumps and rubella (MMR).
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that there were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023. This figure is more than double the 735 in 2022 and an almost fivefold increase compared to the 360 reported cases. in 2021
According to NHS England, more than 3.4 million children under the age of 16 are unprotected and at risk of falling ill with the disease.
Experts called on all countries to step up vaccination efforts, saying the rising trend will continue if more people don’t get jabs.
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said: ‘Vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease.
“Vaccination efforts are urgently needed to halt transmission and prevent further spread.
“It is critical that all countries are prepared to rapidly detect and respond in a timely manner to measles outbreaks, which could jeopardize progress towards measles eradication.”
The WHO blamed a drop in vaccination rates and increased travel abroad due to the pandemic for the spike in cases.
Two in five cases occurred in children aged one to four years, while one in five was in people aged 20 and over, the report said.
Last week, Britain’s Health Security Agency warned that things were “moving towards a much worse situation” without concerted action.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries said measles is spreading among unvaccinated communities, and urged parents to check that their children have had both doses of the jab.
She said: ‘What we are seeing with measles at the moment is that people have forgotten what a serious disease it is…
“We have had very high vaccination rates, especially for young families, but they are currently low.”
In England, 89.3 percent of two-year-olds received their first dose of the MMR vaccine in the year to March 2023 (blue line), compared to 89.2 percent the year before. Meanwhile, 88.7 percent of two-year-olds had both doses, up from 89 percent a year earlier
Cold symptoms, such as fever, coughing and a runny or stuffy nose, are usually the first sign of measles. A few days later, some people develop small white spots on the inside of their cheeks and the back of their lips. The characteristic rash of measles also develops, usually starting on the face and behind the ears, before spreading to the rest of the body.
Vaccination rates have fallen across the country, but there are particular concerns about some regions, including parts of London and the West Midlands.
The latest figures, released by the UKHSA on Friday, show that there have been 216 confirmed cases of measles and 103 probable cases in the West Midlands since October 1 last year.
Around eight in 10 cases are in Birmingham, while one in 10 was identified in Coventry, with the majority involving children under the age of 10.
Official figures show that uptake of the vaccine is at its lowest point in more than a decade, with just 84.5 per cent having received both doses of the jab by the age of five last year – and 92.5 per cent receiving one dose.
The highly contagious disease, which usually comes with cold symptoms and a telltale skin rash, can lead to serious complications.
It spreads much more easily than Covid, with each patient typically passing the viral infection on to 20 others.
Mike Tildesley, professor of infectious disease modeling at the University of Warwick, said: ‘This means we need to have more than 90 per cent of the population immune or you will see cases increase.’
He added: “We have childhood measles vaccinations that have been helping us get rid of the disease for years.
“Unfortunately, as vaccination levels drop, we are going to see cases rise and that is what we are seeing at the moment.”