The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday declared that Britain and several European countries have lost their measles elimination status following a surge in infections across the regions, according to Reuters.
Spain, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan were also stripped of their status after cases rose sharply. According to Reuters, WHO urged governments to increase vaccination coverage, particularly among under-protected groups, to prevent the highly contagious virus from spreading to more children.
The WHO had judged the United Kingdom to have eliminated the disease between 2021 and 2023, but recent increases in the number of recorded cases – 3,681 in 2024 – and rises in outbreaks and deaths prompted a reassessment. There were 20 deaths from measles in the six years between 2019 and 2025.
“The UK’s change of status reflects a broader challenge we’re facing across the WHO European Region,” the U.N. health agency said on its website.
The WHO noted that some European countries, including France and Romania, are already experiencing regular measles transmission.
According to an analysis by WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 1,27,350 measles cases were reported in the European Region for 2024. Children under 5 accounted for more than 40% of reported cases in the Region – comprising 53 countries in Europe and central Asia. More than half of the reported cases required hospitalization. A total of 38 deaths have been reported, based on preliminary data received as of 6 March 2025.
“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call. Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security. As we shape our new regional health strategy for Europe and central Asia, we cannot afford to lose ground,” warned Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, last year.
Measles elimination status is assessed by WHO committees in each region based on case rates. To qualify as measles-free, a country must report no locally transmitted cases of the same strain for at least 12 months.
The decision to withdraw the status from several European nations was taken in September last year, based on data from 2024. However, the WHO released the information only on Monday after receiving approval from all the countries concerned.
According to the WHO, vaccination coverage must remain above 95% to prevent outbreaks. In the UK, however, only 84.4% of children received the two doses required for full protection in 2024. Government figures showed 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England that year, the highest number since 2012.
Measles can be fully prevented through vaccination, but it spreads easily and is often one of the first diseases to return when immunisation levels fall. The illness usually causes high fever and a rash, but it can also result in severe complications and, in some cases, death.
With vaccine hesitancy having increased in some populations since the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts have warned that growing outbreaks worldwide signal a return of other preventable diseases.
Meanwhile, the recent news that the USA and Mexico are likely to lose their measles-free designation in 2026 has alarmed public health stakeholders across the world. Moreover, Canada has lost its elimination status last year.
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