A school child in the United States died from sclerosing panencephalitis, a rare and incurable complication of measles, which appears many years after the disease; In Romania, 12 similar cases were confirmed.
Is a danger of death because of the effects of measles on the body / photo source: Istock
How dangerous can children be for children: it can trigger an incurable disease that causes brain damage
In the United States, a school -age child died due to rare measles complication: he did sclerosing panencephalitis, an incurable disease that causes brain damage. It manifested itself many years after making measles. And in Romania, 12 cases of panencephalitis were confirmed, according to Europafm.ro.
The child who died in the United States made measles while he was a baby, and at that time, he was too young to be vaccinated, doctors from Los Angeles announced, quoted by Associated Press. However, the complications appeared at the school age, when it was ill with subacute sclerosis. It is an incurable disease that causes the progressive damage of the brain and in most cases leads to death. A 10,000 person who makes measles develops this complication, but in babies the risk is much higher, 1 to 600.
And in Romania there were confirmed 12 cases of sclerosing panencephalitis, said at Medika TV, the president of the Romanian Epidemiology Society. Adriana Pistol recalls that a measles patient can infect up to 15 people:
“Rujeola over the years, even if it has passed over the disease, can develop an extremely severe complication, which is called anencephalitis subacute. We already have identified, although we do not know them all, 12 cases”, declared the president of the Romanian Epidemiology Society on Medika TV.
In Romania, the vaccination rate in the case of measles has decreased in the last 10 years, from 85% to 65% for the first dose and 55% in the case of the second dose.
In order not to reach the epidemics, a 95%vaccination rate is needed.
The first dose of the ROR vaccine that offers protection in case of measles, mumps, rubella, is made at the age of 12-15 months, and the second dose, at five to six years. The vaccine is free.
Valley of deaths also in Romania due to measles: how the vaccine coverage in Romania has decreased
The measles cases in Europe reached a record last year for the last 25 years, and Romania was the most affected country: it registered 13,000 of the approximately 18,000 cases registered between June 2024 and May 2025 in the European Economic Area. The epidemiologist Daniela Gafița went to the isolated villages in northeastern Romania, in the hope of educating the communities regarding the risks of the measles. She frequently encountered parents who hesitate to vaccinate their children.
Rujeola returns in force in Europe, and the increase in the number of cases goes hand in hand with the decrease in vaccine coverage. A qualitative study conducted by Inspi and WHO Country Office in Romania has identified the barriers to vaccination in vulnerable communities, as well as efficient intervention modalities.
In Romania, between 01.01.2023-31.12.2024, 27,234 cases confirmed with measles were notified, of which 22 deaths (5 in Bucharest, 4 in Brașov county, 3 in Giurgiu county, 2 in Argeș county, 2 in Iași county, 1 in the county, 1 in the county, 1 in the county of Sibiu county. in Alba county and 1 in Ialomița county).
The explanation is the decrease in coverage for the first dose of measles vaccine throughout the EU/EEA, Romania documenting a steep decrease from 83% in 2022 to 78% in 2024.
“In addition, only 62% of Romanian children received the second dose of ROR vaccine, a percentage well below the 95% recommended by WHO”, Inspit, in a statement posted on its own site.
