Only Four EU Countries Meet Measles Vaccination Goal

According to news from the World Health Organization (WHO), only 4 of 30 EU/EEA countries have reached the 95 percent target for both the 1st and 2nd doses of a measles vaccine during 2017. 

Moreover, this unfortunate trend continues in 2018.

According to the July 2018 Communicable Diseases Threats Report (CDTR) Romania (4,317), France (2,588), Greece (2,238) and Italy (1,716) have reported the highest number of measles cases in 2018.

And, the ECDC also reported 31 deaths related to the 2018 measles outbreak.

This negative news means additional action is needed to protect children from this vaccine-preventable disease.

In order to stop measles transmission and protect children, at least 95 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated with 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine, says the WHO.

One tactic that can be improved upon is the dissemination of unbiased information.

As an example, Italy is facing one of its worst measles epidemics with a six-fold increase compared with 2017.

Vaccination skepticism in Italy can be traced to the 2012 court ruling that found a child’s autism had in fact been caused by the MMR vaccination.

As a byproduct of this legal ruling, child immunization rates in Italy dropped from 90% in 2013, to just 85% in 2015.

The good news is the Rimini ruling was overturned on February 13, 2015, by a Court of Appeals.

On a worldwide basis, most governments are taking action to improve vaccination rates.

Recent data from the WHO shows that most countries (167) now included a 2nd dose of measles vaccine, as part of their routine vaccination schedule.

As a result of this vaccination expansion, global coverage against measles and rubella increased from 35 percent in 2010, to 52 percent.

But, in the USA, measles has returned in force.

During 2018, the USA has reported the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in 2000, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

From January 1 to June 16, 2018, 93 people from 19 states were reported to have measles. The majority of these individuals who got measles were unvaccinated.

In 2017, 118 people from 15 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles.

And, international travelers continue to bring measles into the USA, says the CDC.

The CDC has issued various Travel Alerts for EU countries regarding their measles outbreaks.

This CDC alert means Americans traveling to Europe should speak with a healthcare provider regarding their immunization status, before departing on an international trip.

International travelers can easily request a vaccination appointment with a pharmacy at Vax-Before-Travel.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector vaccine prices for general information, and vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects, says the CDC. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.