UK and Five Other European Nations Lose Measles Elimination Status as Vaccine Coverage Slips

Six European countries have been told they no longer count as having eliminated measles. The World Health Organization's European office announced the change, based on 2024 data showing the virus once again spreading steadily within their borders. The countries are Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Spain, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

The decision came from the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, known as the RVC. It found that 11% of the region's Member States, six in all, had re-established measles transmission, which is what strips a country of elimination status. The commission also noted that some of the affected countries have well-established immunization programs, and said the finding points to an urgent need for greater financial and political commitment from international organizations and national governments alike.

The numbers behind the decision are stark. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said in a 2025 press release that more than 125,000 people caught measles in 2024, twice as many as in 2023. He described them as hundreds of thousands of families in anguish because their children were sick, from a disease that could have been prevented.

A spokesperson for WHO/Europe told Medical News Today that persistent immunity gaps drove a region-wide resurgence of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases in 2024. The same gaps reduced the number of countries that have achieved or sustained elimination. The spokesperson placed these outbreaks alongside antimicrobial resistance and other emerging threats to health security in Europe.

The WHO grants elimination status to countries that sustain at least 95% coverage with two doses of the MMR vaccine. Across Europe, coverage slipped from 92% to 91% between 2019 and 2024. That is a small drop on paper, but it leaves the region below the threshold.

The United Kingdom sits well below it. According to the UK Government, overall MMR immunization stands at 84.5%, and England has the lowest rate among the UK nations at 83.9%. England has also recorded 957 laboratory-confirmed measles cases since January 1, 2025.

The UK Health Security Agency has urged that all children be vaccinated. It says 99% of people who receive two doses of MMR are protected against measles and rubella. The first dose is offered at 12 months and the second at 18 months, and older children and adults who are not fully vaccinated can still get the vaccine.

Measles is highly contagious. Symptoms usually begin 7 to 14 days after infection, with high fever, cough, a runny nose and red, watery eyes. Small white spots, called Koplik spots, may appear in the mouth within 2 to 3 days of the first symptoms. A rash typically follows at 3 to 5 days, starting as flat red or discolored spots near the hairline and spreading down the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. Fever can spike above 104°F (40°C).

The WHO/Europe spokesperson said that through stronger surveillance, better outbreak response and focused efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities, all countries can achieve and sustain elimination. Health officials advise anyone unsure of their vaccination status, or their children's, to speak with a healthcare professional about the MMR vaccine and both doses.