Of the 26,000 reported measles cases in 36 European countries from January to October 2011, 83% have occurred in Western Europe, which is supposed to have world-leading public health services. WHO (World Health Organization) Europe has issued a stern warning to European nations, explaining that the ever-growing measles outbreaks pose a “serious public health (threat) with economic implications”. In a new report, WHO Europe says that European nations should take effective and prompt preventive action to combat measles transmission during the approaching high season and beyond.

Europe’s high season for measles is generally from February until the end of May.

14,000 of the reported cases in Europe during that period have occurred in France. So far, there have been 7,288 hospitalizations due to measles, and nine deaths in Europe; six of the deaths in France.

Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said:

“The increase in measles in European countries reveals a serious challenge to achieving the regional measles elimination goal by 2015. Every country in the European Region must take the opportunity now to raise coverage amongst susceptible populations, improve surveillance and severely reduce measles virus circulation before the approaching measles high season.”

Director of the European CDC (Centre for Disease Control), Dr. Marc Sprenger, said:

“A substantial commitment is needed and should involve all stakeholders, especially health professionals who have a decisive role to play in helping parents make informative decisions regarding vaccination.”



A European child with day-4 measles rash

Western Europe has now become one of the three measles hotspots worldwide, together with the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has over 100,000 reported cases so far this year, Nigeria with over 15,000 and Somalia with at least another 15,000.

In the world today, where air travel is commonplace, a regional outbreak of a very contagious disease affects other regions. The European outbreak has been the cause of reported measles cases in the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil and South-East Asia. The USA says that 2011 has had more reported cases than in any year since 1996.

Nine in every ten measles cases in Europe have occurred in adolescent and adult individuals who had either not been vaccinated, or their vaccination status was unknown.

The Measles Initiative emphasizes that countries have a collective responsibility to control and eliminate the disease – what occurs in one country, can have a knock-on effect in others. The Measles Initiative aims to reduce measles deaths by 95% worldwide compared to 2000 figures.

On behalf of the Measles Initiative, Dr. Stephen Cochi, Senior Advisor for immunization at the U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), said: