Measles outbreak takes over Europe

Measles is spreading across Europe wherever 
immunisation coverage has dropped, the World Health Organization is warning.

The largest outbreaks are being seen in Italy and Romania.

In the first month of this year, Italy reported more 
than 200 cases. Romania has reported more than 3,400 
cases and 17 deaths since January 2016.

Measles is highly contagious. Travel patterns mean
 no person or country is beyond its reach, says the WHO.

For good protection, it's recommended that at least
 95% of the population is vaccinated against the disease.

But many countries are struggling to achieve that.

Most of the measles cases have been found in countries where immunisation has dipped below this threshold 
and the infection is endemic - France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Preliminary information for February suggests that the number of new infections is rising sharply, says the WHO.

WHO regional director for Europe Dr Zsuzsanna
 Jakab said: "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."

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and
 Control says that between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 the UK reported 575 cases of measles.

The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine
 is available on the NHS for babies and pre-school children.


Lag of immunisation

Robb Butler, of the WHO Regional Office for Europe,
 says there are a number of reasons why vaccination coverage has waned in some regions.

"In some countries, like the Ukraine, there have been
 supply and procurement issues."

Then there's vaccine hesitancy. Some people are fearful 
of vaccination, while others are complacent or find it an
inconvenience, he says.

In France, for example, people need to make an
 appointment with their doctor to get a prescription, go
 to the pharmacy to collect the vaccine and then rebook with their doctor to have the jab administered.

"We need to get to the point where we appreciate that
people have busy lives and competing priorities."

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at Public Health England, said: "England's uptake of MMR vaccine by 
five years of age has reached the WHO's target of 95%.

"In the last year, the measles cases confirmed in England
 have mainly been in older adolescents and young adults
 with many linked to music festivals and other large public events. Individuals of any age who have not received two doses of the MMR vaccine, or those who are unsure, should speak to their GP - it's never too late to have the vaccine and measles can still be serious in adults. We are continuing to invest in programmes which encourage uptake of the vaccine to ultimately consign measles to the history books."