We have already talked on the blog about measles outbreaks that are emerging in Spain and other countries in Europe because the vaccination rates in children have declined.
In this situation, WHO recommends getting a measles vaccination before traveling to Europe, especially to all people traveling this summer outside their country, to prevent the outbreak from spreading further.
More than 12,000 cases have been registered between January and May of this year in 38 European countries. More than 90 percent of those affected lived in Belgium, France, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
Outbreaks in Europe have affected especially children between one and four years old and young adults who had not received the two recommended doses of measles vaccine.
Children under the age of five are at the highest risk of complications from measles, such as pneumonia or acute encephalitis, which in extreme situations can cause death. That is why it is important to vaccinate children and not doing so can pose a risk to everyone.
WHO has said that "the virus will continue to spread if people still do not get vaccinated, which means that receiving the vaccine on time, following the immunization programs of the countries, is vital." He also recommends "urgently" that all people undergo analysis to see if they are immune to measles, "regardless of their travel plans."
