According to an analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, 127,350 measles cases were reported in Europe in 2024, twice as many as a year earlier and the highest number since 1997.
More than 40 per cent of reported cases in the region – across 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia – were in children under five years of age. More than half of the reported cases required hospitalisation. According to preliminary data as of 6 March 2025, there have been 38 fatalities.
Since 1997, when there were about 216,000 cases, the incidence of measles in the region has been generally declining. The rate reached a low in 2016, but then there was a spike in incidence in 2018 and 2019. After a drop in immunisation coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cases rose significantly again. Vaccination rates in many countries have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, increasing the risk of outbreaks.
A wake-up call
Dr. Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, said:
“Measles is back and this is a wake-up call. There can be no safety without high vaccination coverage. We must not allow ourselves to lose ground. Every country needs to step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities. The measles virus never settles down, and neither should we.”
In 2024, the European Region will account for one-third of all measles cases worldwide. In 2023, half a million children in the region did not receive their first dose of measles vaccine as part of routine immunisation. Romania had the highest number of cases in the region in 2024, followed by Kazakhstan.
Regina de Dominikis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, noted:
“The number of measles cases in Europe and Central Asia has increased dramatically over the past two years, indicating gaps in immunisation coverage.”
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses affecting humans. In addition to hospitalisation and death caused by complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, diarrhoea and dehydration, measles can cause long-term complications such as blindness. It can also disrupt the immune system, “erasing” its memory of how to fight infections.
