WHO Says European Region Saw Highest Number of Measles Cases in Decades

Meanwhile, an outbreak of measles in Texas and New Mexico has drawn attention in recent weeks.

This undated image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 4, 2015, shows an electron microscope image of a measles virus particle, center. The Canadian Press/AP-Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP

Officials with the United Nations reported that the European region last year reported the highest number of measles cases since 1997.

At least 127,350 measles cases were reported across the region last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said in a report released this week. The region includes the entire European continent and several countries in Central Asia.

“Children under five accounted for more than 40 per cent of reported cases in the Region–comprising 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia,” the two UN bodies said in a statement, adding that “more than half of the reported cases required hospitalization” with 38 deaths.

The two countries with the highest totals include Romania and Kazakhstan, with 30,692 cases and 28,147 cases, respectively, according to the UN groups.

“Countries that do not have current measles outbreaks should be prepared, including through identifying and addressing gaps in immunity, building and sustaining public trust in vaccines and maintaining strong health systems,” said WHO and UNICEF, previously called the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, in the statement.

British officials said last month there have been more than 200 reported cases in the United Kingdom and that many more are expected. In the United States, measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico are continuing to spread and are now up to 250 cases, including two deaths in people who weren’t vaccinated.

According to the WHO, measles is one of the most contagious viruses for people. Infections can cause complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, and dehydration and also damage the immune system’s defensive memory against various pathogens.

The WHO said on Thursday that fewer than 80 percent of eligible children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Romania had their first dose of the measles vaccine in 2023.

In the news release, Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said that more people should receive vaccines for measles.

“As we shape our new regional health strategy for Europe and Central Asia, we cannot afford to lose ground. Every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities,” he said.

In the United States, an outbreak of measles in Texas and New Mexico has drawn attention in recent weeks.

In an update on March 14, the Texas Department of State Health Services said that 259 cases of measles have been identified since January, primarily in Gaines County. About 34 patients have been hospitalized, with one death in the state.

In New Mexico, cases rose from 33 to 35 on Friday, including two cases in Eddy County and the rest in Lea County, which is adjacent to Gaines County, officials said.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently said that vaccines are being provided in Texas, while he also noted that patients treated with vitamin A and other medicines have seen positive outcomes.

Symptoms of measles include a fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, and runny nose, as well as red, watery eyes. A rash can appear three to five days after the initial symptoms, usually starting on the face before spreading to the rest of the body, officials say.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised people to receive the measles vaccine, saying that one dose of the shot is 93 percent effective against the virus, and two doses are 97 percent effective.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.