Alarming situation regarding vaccinations and measles infections

Over the past year, measles cases have increased significantly across Europe, with Romania at the center of this trend, reporting 85% of all cases recorded in the region.

According to recent data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), measles cases in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA) have increased considerably in the last 12 months (February 2024 - January 2025) compared to the previous year. This indicates that the virus is actively circulating in the region and that the number of cases could continue to rise in the spring of 2025.

Immunization with two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine remains the safest and most effective method of preventing this highly contagious disease. However, data show that 80% of people diagnosed with measles in the EU/EEA in the last period were not vaccinated.

In most European countries, more than 90% of children aged 1 to 2 years are vaccinated against measles. In Romania, in the early 2000s, the immunization rate had reached a record high of 98%, according to World Bank statistics. However, currently, after the government's "Say NO to measles, say YES to vaccination!" campaign, approximately 1 in 4 Romanian children is not vaccinated against this disease.

Vaccination coverage with the first dose of MMR in Romania is 78% nationwide, while for the second dose, coverage is only 62%. This is a worrying situation, and in some counties, less than half of children have been vaccinated, according to INSP data. Among the counties with the lowest vaccination rates are Arad (31%), Satu Mare (40%), Suceava (44%), Neamț (46%), Alba (48%), Argeș (48%), and Vrancea (49%).

Between February 2024 and January 2025, Romania reported 27,568 cases of measles, representing 85% of all cases recorded in the European Economic Area. Compared to the European average of 71 cases per 1 million inhabitants, Romania has 1,447 measles cases per 1 million inhabitants.

Health authorities emphasize the importance of vaccination as the primary measure to prevent the spread of measles and urge parents to protect their children's health through immunization.

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Data source:

• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/measles-rise-again-europe-time-check-your-vaccination-status
• World Bank: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.IMM.MEAS?locations=RO
• INSP: https://insp.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Analiza-de-situatie-VACCINARE-2024.pdf

Data processing and text design: Mircea Kivu

Infographic: Pascalone Media SRL