WHO: 30 times more measles cases in Europe in 2023

Between January and October 2023, 30 times more measles cases were registered in Europe than in 2022, the European branch of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, calling for the strengthening of the immunization campaign, reported AFP.
"Between January and October 2023, more than 30,000 measles cases were reported from 40 of the 53 member states in the region, which stretches as far as Central Asia," the UN body said in a statement. In 2022. 941 cases were reported.
Kazakhstan and Russia are the most affected countries, each with more than 10,000 cases. With 183 cases, Britain is the western European country where the resurgence of the disease, considered eradicated in 2021, is most evident.
"In the region, we are not only seeing a 30-fold increase in measles cases, but also almost 21,000 hospitalizations and five measles-related deaths. This is worrying," said WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge.
"Urgent vaccination efforts are needed to stop the transmission of the infection and prevent its further spread," he added.
The resurgence of this highly contagious viral disease, which can lead to fatal complications and is spread through the air, is due to the decline in vaccination coverage during the Covid-19 years.
"The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the performance of the immunization system during this period, leading to an accumulation of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children," the report said.
More than 1.8 million babies in the region were not vaccinated against measles between 2020 and 2022, according to the WHO, which is calling for stepped-up campaigns to reach unvaccinated communities.
At the local level, it is important that at least 95% of children are vaccinated to avoid possible epidemics when the virus is imported. By 2022, only 92% of European children have received a second dose of vaccine. /BGNES