Romania ranks first in Europe in the number of deaths caused by measles, and the situation does not seem to be improving any time soon. It's UNICEF's grim warning, which also comes with more bad news: Measles cases across the continent are skyrocketing
Authorities declared an epidemic last December. Photo source: archive
Measles cases recorded in the first three months of this year almost equaled the total number of illnesses reported throughout last year. Specifically, according to UNICEF, in the first three months of the year, 56,634 cases of measles and four deaths were officially reported. It happened in 45 of the 53 countries in the European region of the World Health Organization.
And the alarming figures do not stop there. During the entire year 2023, 61,070 measles cases and 13 deaths were reported in 41 countries. According to data from the World Health Organization, last year, 3,497 cases of measles and three deaths were registered in Romania. We are talking about a quarter of the deaths recorded in the whole of Europe. This is the reason why last December the Ministry of Health declared a measles epidemic. The decision was also made to make it possible to vaccinate children between the ages of 9 and 11 months, as well as to recover those who are not vaccinated or with an incomplete vaccination schedule.
Children under five, the most affected by the disease
According to WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, even a single case of measles should be “an urgent call” to action. “No one should have to suffer the consequences of this devastating but easily preventable disease. I thank every country that has stepped up its efforts to interrupt transmission through booster vaccination. I urge all countries to take immediate action, even if general coverage a immunization is raised to vaccinate the vulnerable, to eliminate immunity gaps and thus to prevent the virus from establishing itself in any community“, he specified.
Almost half of the cases reported in 2023 occurred among children under the age of five. The reason? According to specialists, the main cause of the low vaccination rate is the COVID-19 pandemic that the entire world's population has gone through. During that time, the children missed routine vaccinations, both against measles and against other diseases. And the consequences were commensurate: of the children under the age of five who contracted measles in 2023, more than three-quarters had not received a single dose of the vaccine against the disease. Moreover, approximately 99% of these children did not receive two doses of the measles vaccine, which provides the necessary protection.
Why should we vaccinate our children?
Because measles is a highly contagious infectious disease. “It has a contagiousness of 95%. Practically, this means that 9 out of 10 people who come into contact with the virus get sick”, stated, for “Adevărul”, Dr. Emilian Popovici, primary medical epidemiologist and vice-president of the Romanian Society of Epidemiology. “It has the fastest route of transmission and is the most difficult to control.”
Symptoms appear 10-12 days after contact with the virus and can be confused with a common cold: nasal secretions, cough, fever. As the disease progresses, between the third and seventh day after the onset, the fever rises to 39-40 degrees, skin rashes appear on the body – red spots – which persist for about a week.
The complications of the disease can be dire:One in 10 children with measles develops otitis and diarrhea, one in 20 children develops pneumonia, the most common cause of death among children. Furthermore, one in 1,000 children with measles develops encephalitis, which causes seizures and can lead to deafness or mental retardation.” the specialist also specifies.
MMR vaccine in children and adults
The MMR vaccine protects the child from three diseases; measles, mumps and rubella. The little one must receive the first dose of vaccine when he turns one year old, and the second one – at five years old. Immunization by vaccine eliminates the risk of severe forms of the disease, complications or death. “The vaccine is issued free of charge to children up to 18 years of age, as part of the national vaccination scheme“said Dr. Gindrovel Dumitra, coordinator of the vaccinology group within the National Society of Family Medicine, for “Adevărul”.
As for adults, they can be immunized with the same vaccine. “The serum is compensated only for patients who have undergone a bone marrow transplant. The people who often come into contact with these patients, the relatives who could bring the virus home and make them sick, also receive compensation.the doctor also told us.
Between January 1, 2023 and May 26, 2024, 16,587 confirmed cases of measles were notified in Romania, of which 16 deaths: 4 in Brașov County, 4 in Bucharest, 3 in Giurgiu, 2 in Argeș, 1 in Mureș County, 1 in Sibiu and 1 in Buzau county.
Measles cases are also increasing worldwide, says UNICEF. “In 2023, more than 300,000 illnesses were registered. Figures reported so far indicate that this year's total will match or exceed 2023's total. Importation of the virus between countries and continents occurs regularly, and outbreaks of this highly infectious disease will occur wherever the virus finds unvaccinated or undervaccinated people vaccinated”, reports UNICEF.
