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The European Union (EU) is witnessing an unprecedented four-fold increase in measles cases due to low immunization, warned the World Health Organization.
In 2017, the disease affected 21,315 people, causing 35 deaths. This jump in cases came after a record low 5,273 cases in 2016. Concerned over the immunization rate, Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, maintained that such a large-scale spread and number of deaths “are a tragedy we simply cannot accept.”
“Every new person affected by measles in Europe reminds us that unvaccinated children and adults, regardless of where they live, remain at risk of catching the disease and spreading it to others who may not be able to get vaccinated.”
According to the latest data, large outbreaks of 100 or more cases, was reported from 15 of the 53 countries in the region. Romania witnessed the highest number at 5,562 cases, followed by Italy and Ukraine with 5,006 and 4,767 cases respectively.
Greece, Germany, Serbia, Tajikistan, France, the Russian Federation, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Spain, Czechia, and Switzerland also experienced large outbreaks, many of which were in decline by the close of 2017, WHO maintained.
Researchers pointed out that these countries have experienced a range of challenges in recent years including declines in overall routine immunization coverage, consistently low coverage among some marginalized groups, interruptions in vaccine supply and poor disease surveillance systems.
Immunization gap failing "herd immunity"
A nurse prepares a syringe for measles as a boy, and his father waits in a clinic in Kiev on January 15, 2018. Schools were closed in Ukraine after a measles outbreak.
In the last few years, governments and health organizations have been targeting the elimination of measles around the world. The measles vaccine has been in existence since 1963, but tepid implementation and anti-vaccine campaigns have failed elimination efforts in EU countries.
The vaccine is administered along with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) combination vaccine.
A second booster dose is required for children, but is often missed for a variety of reasons. Governments have devised different types of follow-up action programs to try to increase this rate.
Despite efforts, authorities are failing to meet the immunization targets. A WHO study, released last year reveals the second dose of measles was below the goal of 95 percent in 20 of the 27 EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries.
Recent unverified claims that the MMR vaccine can cause autism among children has also caused confusion among parents. Many of them have refused to get their children vaccinated.
Vaccine experts claim that because measles is a transmissible disease, it requires a “herd immunity” – where at least 95 percent of the cohort is essential to prevent an outbreak.
Among all the measles cases reported in 2017 that had a certified vaccination status, 87 percent of infected patients were unvaccinated.
Governments are formulating stringent policies to ensure adequate vaccine coverage. France has decided to make 11 vaccines mandatory. Italy and Australia have banned non-vaccinated children from school enrollment.
In 2012, the EU government introduced a process to verify the elimination of measles by country. Regional Verification Commission (RVC) reviews country data and immunization activities and recommends actions to resolve the specific challenges faced by each area.
WHO released the measles outbreak data ahead of a meeting in Montenegro among the EU's ministers of health to discuss the goals set in the European Vaccine Action Plan (EVAP) by 2020, including measles and rubella elimination.
“Elimination of both measles and rubella is a priority goal that all European countries have firmly committed to, and a cornerstone for achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals,” Dr Jakab added.
(CGTN)
