European measles outbreak puts all countries at risk

The World Health Organisation is urging all European nations to ensure vaccination levels are above the 95 per cent threshold that ensures herd immunity
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A measles vaccine has existed since 1963. Yet, today, the World Health Organisation has been forced to issue a warning stating Europe is experiencing a fresh outbreak of the virus. Since January, at least 559 cases have been reported and any region in Europe where immunisation is below the recommended 95 per cent will be most at risk.

Read more: Map of vaccine-preventable diseases shows prevalence of measles in the UK

The majority of the cases have been reported in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Switzerland and Ukraine, where vaccination levels for the second dose are below this threshold. The WHO reports that numbers appeared to be on the rise in February.

“With steady progress towards elimination over the past two years, it is of particular concern that measles cases are climbing in Europe,” WHO regional director for Europe, Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, said in a statement.

“Today’s travel patterns put no person or country beyond the reach of the measles virus. Outbreaks will continue in Europe, as elsewhere, until every country reaches the level of immunisation needed to fully protect their populations.”

What is measles?

****: Measles is highly contagious, causing flu-like symptoms, rashes and fevers.

****: Related complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, particularly in young children, can lead to death in some cases.

****: It can be spread through the air and survive on surfaces for two hours. There is no treatment for the initial virus.

****: Because of its contagious nature, the WHO has warned that any country is at risk of this spreading outbreak.

In recent years, Romania has been the worst affected, with 17 deaths and 3,400 cases in 2016 and three types of the virus being transmitted reportedly from other European countries. In Italy, there have been 238 cases in January alone.

The measles vaccine is most commonly administered as a combination vaccine, known as MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). Children must receive a second booster dose for it to take effect, and one concern is that if that process is not easy enough for parents, immunisation numbers will continue to drop.

In the UK, the NHS says parents will receive an automatic appointment letter when their child is due to be vaccinated. However, it’s unclear whether this is universal. (This WIRED parent can attest to never receiving said letter, neither for first vaccinations or followup reminders. In the particular borough we live in, the onus seems to be on the parent to be proactive.) Some parents may also be reluctant to vaccinate their children over safety fears. However, vaccines have repeatedly proven to be the safest way to protect a population from the dangers of multiple diseases and are far safer than the alternative.

Dr Jakab said local health authorities need to step up their action, now: “I urge all endemic countries to take urgent measures to stop transmission of measles within their borders, and all countries that have already achieved this to keep up their guard and sustain high immunisation coverage. Together we must make sure that the hard-earned progress made towards regional elimination is not lost.”

This article was originally published by WIRED UK