COPENHAGEN, March 13, 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed alarm on Thursday over the doubling of measles cases in Europe in 2024, reaching an unprecedented level not seen in 25 years. The organization underscored the critical importance of vaccination.
In 2024, there were 127,350 reported cases of measles and 38 associated deaths across the WHO European region, which also includes Central Asia. Romania and Kazakhstan experienced the highest numbers, with 30,692 and 28,147 cases, respectively.
The WHO highlighted that half of these cases necessitated hospitalization, noting that children under five accounted for 40% of the total cases. “Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” stated Hans Kluge, the WHO Regional Director, who urged authorities to ramp up immunization efforts in communities with low vaccination rates.
In 2023, 500,000 children in the region did not receive their first dose of the vaccine. “Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security,” Kluge stressed.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that, while often mild, can lead to severe respiratory and neurological complications. In 2024, Europe represented one-third of the global measles cases.
Although instances in the region had significantly decreased since 1997, hitting a low of 4,440 cases in 2016, a resurgence was noted in 2018 and 2019. Since 2023, cases have surged again, primarily due to a decline in vaccination coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
