Geneva/Copenhagen: The European region – which comprises 53 countries, covering a vast geographical region from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans – accounted for a third of all measles cases globally in 2024, according to an analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), released on March 13, 2025.
The European Region reported a staggering 127,350 cases of measles in 2024, a figure double that of 2023 and the highest since 1997. Among these cases, children younger than five years old made up more than 40%, affecting the 53 nations in Europe and Central Asia. Over half of the cases required hospitalization, and as of March 6, 2025, there have been 38 fatalities recorded based on initial data.
Since 1997, measles cases in the Region have generally shown a downward trend, starting with approximately 216,000 reported cases and dropping to a low of 4,440 in 2016. However, there was a notable spike in 2018 and 2019, with reported cases reaching 89,000 and 106,000, respectively. The situation worsened in 2023 and 2024, as immunization coverage declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a significant increase in cases. Many countries are still struggling to restore vaccination rates to their pre-pandemic levels, which heightens the risk of potential outbreaks.
“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call. Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security. As we shape our new regional health strategy for Europe and central Asia, we cannot afford to lose ground. Every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities,” warned Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “The measles virus never rests – and neither can we.”
In 2023 alone, 500,000 children across the Region missed the first dose of the measles vaccine (MCV1) that should be given through routine immunization services.
“Measles cases across Europe and central Asia have soared over the past 2 years – pointing to gaps in immunization coverage,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. “To protect children from this deadly and debilitating disease, we need urgent government action including sustained investment in health-care workers.”
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses affecting people. As well as hospitalization and death caused by complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, diarrhoea and dehydration, measles can cause long-term, debilitating health complications such as blindness. It can also damage the immune system by “erasing” its memory of how to fight infections, leaving measles survivors vulnerable to other diseases. Vaccination is the best line of defence against the virus.
Less than 80% of eligible children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Romania were vaccinated with MCV1 in 2023 – far below the 95% coverage rate required to retain herd immunity. In both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, the coverage rate for MCV1 has remained below 70% and 50% respectively for the past 5 or more years.
Romania reported the highest number of cases in the Region for 2024, with 30 692 cases, followed by Kazakhstan with 28 147 cases.
Measles remains a significant global threat. In 2024, 359,521 cases of measles were reported worldwide. Transmission of the virus across borders and continents occurs regularly, and outbreaks of this highly infectious disease will occur wherever the virus finds pockets of un- or under-vaccinated people, particularly children.
UNICEF and WHO are working together with governments, and with the support of partners including the European Union and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to prevent and respond to measles outbreaks – by engaging with communities, training health-care workers, strengthening immunization programmes and disease surveillance systems, and initiating measles immunization catch-up campaigns. UNICEF and WHO are calling for governments with active outbreaks to urgently intensify case finding and contact tracing and conduct emergency vaccination campaigns. It is imperative that countries analyse the root causes of outbreaks, address weaknesses in their health systems, and strategically utilize epidemiological data to identify and close coverage gaps. Reaching hesitant parents and marginalized communities and tackling inequitable access to vaccines must be central to all efforts.
Countries that do not have current measles outbreaks should be prepared, including through identifying and addressing gaps in immunity, building and sustaining public trust in vaccines and maintaining strong health systems.
– global bihari bureau
