September 2, 2019.
A highly contagious disease, caught by direct contact or through the air, measles can cause serious complications. If a vaccine makes it possible to eradicate this disease, the WHO notes an explosion of cases of measles in Europe.
The number of measles cases explodes in Europe
Measles is one of the childhood illnesses that can be prevented from catching with a vaccine, MMR Although eradicated in recent years, it is reappearing in some European countries. These would be Greece, the United Kingdom, Albania and the Czech Republic. According to the WHO, in the first six months of 2019, 37 deaths from measles were recorded.
During the first half of 2019, the World Health Organization identified 89,994 measles cases occurring in 48 European countries. A figure that has exploded since it has almost doubled in one year. There were, in fact, 44,175 cases of measles in 2018 during this same period.
Measles epidemic in France
Faced with this explosion in the number of measles cases, WHO is concerned and urges to step up vaccination. This viral disease is indeed very contagious and can lead to hospitalization due to complications that can lead to the death of the patient.
Currently, France is facing a measles epidemic. From 2,381 cases recorded between 1er January and August 21, 2019Public Health France recorded 694 hospitalizations, 167 complications (pneumopathies) and 3 encephalitis including 2 deaths. As a reminder, the measles vaccine will be compulsory in France from March 2020.
Perrine Deurot-Bien
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