In Western Europe, the number of measles cases has exploded. This is also evident from current data from Austria.
In Austria, 192 cases of measles were recorded by the epidemiological reporting system between January 1, 2023 and January 19, 2024. There were only twelve cases in all of 2022.
WHO sounds the alarm
Now the World Health Organization (WHO) is also sounding the alarm: in Europe alone, 30,000 cases were reported between January and October 2023 – compared to 941 cases in all of 2022. That is an increase of more than 30 times.
According to the information, Kazakhstan and Russia were the worst hit, with more than 10,000 cases each. In Western Europe, Britain was worst hit during this period with 183 cases reported; in Austria there were 140 during this period.
Vaccination rates fell during the corona pandemic
What is particularly “worrying” according to the WHO is that there were 21,000 hospital admissions and five deaths. During the Covid pandemic, measles vaccination rates fell sharply.
In Europe alone, 1.8 million babies were not vaccinated between 2020 and 2022. It is now important to step up vaccination efforts to prevent another spread. Otherwise, the WHO sees progress in eradicating measles in Europe at risk.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
