Measles cases have exploded in Europe as vaccinations decline. What to know
Global News
The World Health Organization is warning of an "alarming rise" of measles cases in Europe that is only accelerating, and is calling for urgent action.
The World Health Organization is warning of an “alarming rise” of measles cases in Europe that is only accelerating.
There were 42,200 measles cases across 41 WHO European Region member states in 2023 — up from 941 cases reported in all of 2022, according to WHO.
The organization said in a release Wednesday that the rise in cases has accelerated in recent months, and they are expected to continue to rise unless urgent measures are taken.
“Vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease. Urgent vaccination efforts are needed to halt transmission and prevent further spread,” Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said in a statement.
Canada has not seen such a dramatic increase in measles cases, reporting 12 cases in 2023 and three in 2022, according to federal data.
However, Dr. Don Sheppard, the vice president of Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), told Global News that measles can move easily from one country or region to another thanks to global travel.
He said that 11 of last year’s 12 cases were in travellers who got it abroad, and the 12th case was from a secondary transmission within a household. Sheppard said 2024 already has its first importation case of measles from someone who got it abroad.
“When it circulates anywhere in the world, travelers who go to that place can bring it back home with them,” he said.
