Measles cases across Europe and Central Asia fell sharply in 2025 compared with the previous year, helped by immunisation campaigns and outbreak response measures, but the risk of renewed outbreaks remains high, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said on Wednesday.
Preliminary data from 53 countries in the WHO European Region showed 33,998 measles cases in 2025, down nearly 75% from 127,412 cases reported in 2024.
The decline reflects both emergency vaccination efforts and a reduced pool of susceptible people after the virus spread through under-vaccinated communities, the agencies said. However, they warned that many infections could have been prevented with stronger routine immunisation and faster outbreak responses at the community level.
“While cases have declined, the conditions that fuelled the resurgence of this deadly disease in recent years remain,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia. “Until all children are reached with vaccination and misinformation-driven hesitancy is addressed, children will remain at risk of serious illness or death.”
Despite the drop, measles cases in 2025 were still higher than in most years since 2000, and several countries reported more infections than in 2024. New cases have continued to be detected in the region in early 2026.
WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said more than 200,000 people in the region had fallen ill with measles over the past three years.
“Unless every community reaches 95% vaccination coverage, closes immunity gaps across all ages, strengthens surveillance and ensures timely outbreak response, this highly contagious virus will continue to spread,” Kluge said.
Based on 2024 data, the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination said in September that the number of countries with ongoing or re-established endemic measles transmission had risen to 19, up from 12 a year earlier, marking a major setback in elimination efforts.
Measles remains one of the world’s most contagious viruses, with one infected person capable of infecting up to 18 unvaccinated people. Two doses of the measles-containing vaccine provide up to 97% lifelong protection, and a vaccination rate of at least 95% is needed to prevent outbreaks and achieve herd immunity, WHO and UNICEF said.
The agencies said they were working with governments and partners, including Gavi and the European Union, to strengthen immunisation programmes, disease surveillance and catch-up vaccination campaigns across the region.