6 European countries lose measles elimination status: What this means

• The United Kingdom and five other European countries have lost their measles elimination status, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• This is based on 2024 data that shows a resurgence in cases.
• The WHO says that vaccination is key, and uptake levels have fallen.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the United Kingdom and other European countries have lost their measles elimination status.

This status change comes after a rise in infections across the continent.

“Outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases are threats to health security in Europe, alongside antimicrobial resistance and other emerging threats,” a spokesperson for WHO/Europe told Medical News Today.

“Persistent immunity gaps led to a Region-wide resurgence in measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases in 2024 and a decrease in the number of countries that have achieved or sustained measles elimination status,” they explained.