There is an Increase in Cases Up to 45-fold, WHO Warns of the Spread of Measles in Europe

WHO illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/United States Mission Geneva)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning regarding the "alarming spread of measles" in Europe, following a 45-fold increase in cases across the continent.

Warning that cases have increased in recent months, the WHO report said member countries reported 42,200 measles cases last year, an increase of around 45 times from the 2022 number of 941 cases.

Two out of five cases occur in children aged one to four years. Meanwhile, one in five cases occurs in children aged 20 years and over.

The increase, accompanied by about 21,000 hospitalizations and five deaths, threatens progress in eradicating the disease, the health agency said.

WHO warns that this increasing trend will continue if people do not vaccinate their children against this disease.

Last week, the UK launched its campaign to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella.

It is said that measles can cause serious complications, lifelong disability and even death. This disease can affect the lungs and brain and cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures.

"Vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease," said WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Kluge, as reported by The National News, January 25.

"Urgent vaccination efforts are needed to stop transmission and prevent further spread," he said.

"It is critical for all countries to be prepared for early detection and timely response to measles outbreaks, which could jeopardize progress in measles elimination," he stressed.

WHO further said that the decline in vaccination rates was the cause of the increase. However, the increase in people traveling abroad following the COVID-19 pandemic, increases the risk of cross-border disease transmission and its spread within the environment.

Britain is on a "trajectory of things getting worse" in terms of the spread of measles, British officials said.

Meanwhile, Prof Dame Jenny Harries said "concerted action" was needed to tackle the virus.

He argued that the majority of people are not opposed to their children receiving the MMR injection, but they need more information to feel confident in their decision.

"What we see now regarding measles is that people have forgotten how serious this disease is," he said.

"We have a very high vaccination rate, especially for young families, but currently the vaccination rate is still low," he added.