Measles Outbreak in Europe
There have been over 500 cases of measles reported since January 2017 in the World Health Organizations European Region. This has the potential to cause large outbreaks wherever immunization coverage is low (less than 95% of the population). The preliminary information for February indicates the number of new cases are growing quickly. In endemic countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, and Ukraine) it is estimated that the national immunization coverage is less than 95%. The largest outbreaks in Europe are in Romania and Italy at the moment.
Measles is highly contagious and can cause potential serious illness. Everyone who is not immunization or not fully fully immunized is at risk, especially in countries with low immunization rates. 2 doses of MMR vaccine is required to prevent infection. If unsure of immune status blood work to check to see if someone has sufficient immunity. Everyone should speak to their health care provider about their immunity to measles, especially if traveling.
