Measles, a preventable disease through vaccination, is experiencing a resurgence in various regions of Europe, notably in Britain. Additionally, there have been sporadic outbreaks in multiple areas of the United States.

According to the World Health Organization’s Tuesday announcement, reported cases of measles in Europe surged over 40-fold last year compared to 2022. Notably, almost a third of these cases were documented in Kazakhstan. The outbreak in Kazakhstan is primarily attributed to children who missed routine immunizations.

It’s noteworthy that Kazakhstan straddles both Europe and Asia, with the World Health Organization considering it part of the “European Region.” There is growing concern among experts that the virus could extend its reach beyond Kazakhstan.

The WHO disclosed that over 30,000 individuals contracted measles in 2023, with more than 21,000 hospitalizations and five fatalities. Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director, stressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “Vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease.”

In the UK, NHS England warns that over 3.4 million children under 16 are at risk due to being unvaccinated, prompting a nationwide effort to contact parents and caregivers for vaccination appointments.

Measles, a highly contagious disease, can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, and seizures. The WHO highlights that the drop in vaccination rates, from 96% in 2019 to 93% in 2022 for the first dose of the MMR vaccine across Europe, resulted in more than 1.8 million children missing measles vaccinations during that period.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted immunization efforts, creating a pool of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children.

With international travel resuming and social-distancing measures easing, the risk of measles spreading across borders is heightened, especially in under-vaccinated populations. The WHO emphasizes that 95% of children need two doses of the measles vaccine to prevent the disease’s highly contagious spread.

The resurgence of measles is not confined to Europe; the United States also experiences small outbreaks, with cases linked to travel outside the country. Health officials stress the critical role of vaccination in preventing and controlling measles outbreaks.