The measles epidemic has killed 17 people in Romania. A total of 3,196 cases have been confirmed in the country. Vaccination coverage is insufficient.
The lack of vaccination continues to claim victims. Romania already deplores 17 deaths linked to measles. The epidemic, which started in 2016, is wreaking havoc in this Eastern European country. 3,196 cases were confirmed at the last assessment. In 2015, only 7 cases had occurred.
It is the vaccination coverage that is at issue in this epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that 95% of a country’s population be immune to the viruses that cause measles. This makes it possible to confer collective immunity. But in Romania, 80% of children received a dose and only 50% received the two necessary injections.
According to the Romanian Ministry of Health, the causes of this insufficient vaccination are multiple. Poverty and lack of access to healthcare are aggravated by reluctance to vaccinate. The result: Romania accounts for the vast majority of reported cases in Europe, according to the European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
France does little better in terms of protection against measles. According to data from Santé Publique France, two-thirds of 18-month-old children received two doses, 89% one dose. It is far from sufficient. Result: 44 cases have been diagnosed in Moselle since the end of January.
“A solidarity act”
Elsewhere in Europe, viruses are experiencing a strong resurgence, including among our closest neighbors. 70 cases have been reported in Belgium, as many in Switzerland. A large expansion which can be explained both by the absence of vaccination and by travel. The virus is transmitted, in fact, by direct contact and by air.
“For travelers, vaccination is not only a personal act serving to protect oneself or one’s children, it is also an act of solidarity to prevent the transmission of diseases throughout the world”, recalls the platform. MyVaccines.net.
While most cases affect children, adults are not spared. However, they are more at risk of serious complications (encephalitis, pneumonia) and death. As a reminder, vaccination is recommended from 1 to 4 years. Beyond this period, a catch-up is possible but the injections are only reimbursed up to 65%.
.
