Health agencies warn that measles still pose a major challenge in Europe, even after a decline in cases in 2025 compared to the previous year’s peak. Experts urge urgent action to address vaccine hesitancy and prevent future outbreaks across the continent.
Measles often seem forgotten, but they continue to spread in many European countries. In 2024, Europe reported 127,350 measles cases, which marked the highest number since 1997. Cases declined in 2025, but infections still doubled compared to 2023, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Sabrina Bacci, head of the ECDC programme on vaccine-preventable diseases and immunisation, said Europe should lead the world in measles elimination. She said Europe has a highly effective and safe vaccine, strong knowledge, sufficient resources, and robust surveillance tools to control this preventable disease.
Vaccination Coverage Still Falls Short
Experts say at least 95 percent of eligible people must receive two vaccine doses to prevent outbreaks and protect vulnerable groups. These groups include children too young to be vaccinated and people who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons.
The ECDC reported that 8 in 10 people who fell ill with measles in 2025 had not been vaccinated. This pattern matched the trend seen in 2024 and highlighted ongoing gaps in immunisation coverage.
Bacci said individual vaccination protects others who cannot be vaccinated by reducing the spread of infections. She said vaccination represents self-protection and solidarity. She added that eliminating measles remains possible if countries and communities act together.
One of the Most Contagious Human Viruses
Measles ranks among the most contagious viruses affecting humans. One infected person can transmit the virus to up to 18 unvaccinated people, which makes it far more contagious than influenza.
The disease can cause long-term and debilitating complications. Measles can damage the immune system by erasing its memory of how to fight infections for months or even years. The World Health Organization warns that survivors become vulnerable to other diseases and death after infection.
Vaccination Is the Only Way Forward
There is no cure and no specific treatment for measles. The illness usually lasts about two weeks without complications, but vaccination remains the key tool to stop transmission.
Regina De Dominicis, regional director for Europe and Central Asia at UNICEF, said recent declines in cases do not remove the conditions that led to the resurgence. She stressed the urgent need to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. She warned that children will remain at risk of death or serious illness without stronger vaccination uptake.
Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, urged people to rely on verified health information from trusted sources. He warned about widespread misinformation and said eliminating measles is essential for national and regional health security.
Measles Resurgence Across Europe and Beyond
Europe is not the only region facing rising measles cases. After years of global progress in measles control, the disease has increased steadily in recent years.
The WHO announced earlier this year that Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan lost their measles-free status after the surge in cases in 2024. A country loses this status when the virus returns and transmission continues for more than one year.
