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Measles epidemic hits UK, Europe

Tuesday, 21 August 2018 4:25 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 21 August 2018 4:29 AM ]

A child receives a vaccination against measles by a family physician on April 16, 2018 in the Romanian capital, Bucharest. (Photo by AFP)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a huge surge in measles cases across Europe linked to low vaccination rates.

More than 41,000 cases of measles have been reported in the European region in the first six months of 2018, media reports said on Monday.

WHO regional director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, urged all European countries to take immediate measures to stop the spread of the disease.

“We call on all countries to immediately implement broad, context-appropriate measures to stop further spread of this disease.”

Ukraine, with 23,000 cases, has had the highest number of victims among all the European countries.

In England, there have been 807 measles cases.

According to Mary Ramsay from the Public Health England the measles outbreak in England was linked to ongoing large outbreaks in Europe.

British state media quoted her as saying that most victims were "teenagers and young adults" who had missed out on their vaccine when they were children.

'Unacceptable tragedy'

In 2016, there were 4,643 measles cases reported in European states. In 2017, the number rose to nearly 24,000 cases of measles.

WHO says low MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination rates are to blame for the surge in the disease.

In 1998, British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield at the Royal Free hospital in London published a paper in the Lancet suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

This paper, which was later discredited, cast damaging doubts in the MMR jab, resulting in fewer parents taking up the vaccine for their children.

The cause of the vaccine doubters has been exploited by some rightwing political parties who advocate “parent choice”.

In France, Marine le Pen of the newly-renamed National Rally party is opposed to mandatory vaccination.

Italy's Five Star movement opposes a law in the country that would have fined parents who do not immunize their children.

Mark Muscat, from the WHO's Regional Office for Europe, described the current measles epidemic as an "unacceptable tragedy".

"This is an unnecessary and unacceptable tragedy when we have a safe and effective vaccine available to prevent the disease."

Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease.

Its symptoms include high fever, rash all over the body, stuffy nose and reddened eyes. Measles virus is transmitted through contact with the secretions of or breathing airborne droplets from an infected person.

Measles is one of the leading causes of death for children.

WHO estimates that 450 die each day worldwide due to the illness.

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