Already on the rise in 2023, cases of measles doubled last year on the European continent, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Thursday. Nearly 130,000 cases have been detected, a far cry from the 4,400 cases in 2016.
Among the 127,350 people who developed measles in 2024 in 53 countries in the WHO's Europe region (which extends as far as Central Asia), half were hospitalised and 38 died. Based on preliminary data, this latest count could still change.
Belgium recorded 551 cases between 1 February 2024 and 31 January 2025, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in a notice published on Tuesday.
A year earlier, 61,070 cases and 13 deaths across 41 countries had been reported to the WHO.
2024 thus represents a peak since the upsurge observed from 2018 (89,000 cases). The Covid-19 pandemic has not helped, fuelling mistrust of vaccines.
However, complete vaccination coverage (two doses) must reach at least 95% of the population to offer protection to the most vulnerable, the ECDC reiterated.
Measles is particularly contagious and can be contracted at any age, although it particularly affects young children (40% of sufferers were under five last year). Common symptoms include high fever, sensitivity to light and a rash, first on the face and then the rest of the body. Measles can, however, cause irreversible damage such as blindness or even death.
"A safe vaccine has proven its effectiveness for decades," emphasised the ECDC. "Countries must prepare [...] by identifying gaps in their immunisation coverage, restoring public confidence and maintaining an effective health system," concluded the WHO.
