The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published an updated report on measles cases in the European Union and the European Economic Area and presented its key indicators in a press release. According to the document, the number of cases has increased more than 13-fold in one year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, measles cases in the region were at an abnormally low level, but in 2023, they began to rise, reaching 2,361 confirmed cases. From February 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, 32,265 cases were registered in the European Union and the European Economic Area.
45.1 percent of cases were among children under five, while 27.0 percent were over 15 years old. 86.5 percent had not been vaccinated against the infection. The largest number of measles cases—over 27,500—was recorded in Romania, followed by Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Austria. Nineteen people died from measles this year, including 18 in Romania and one in Ireland. The target vaccination coverage of 95 percent of the population without contraindications was met in only four countries: Hungary, Malta, Portugal, and Slovakia.
