A Europe-wide campaign to boost childhood vaccination was launched yesterday as measles ravages parts of the UK and other regions of the continent.
The World Health Organisation called on governments to step up efforts to improve vaccination rates and help prevent measles outbreaks.
It warned that measles was costly as well as dangerous – with each cases costing more than 500 Euros on average, including the loss of earnings for parents who have to care for their children.
More than 800 people, mainly children, have succumbed to the virus in south Wales and one death is under investigation.
WHO says Europe has seen 90,000 cases of infection in the last three years.
This week is European Immunization Week 2013.
WHO regional director Zsuzsanna Jakab said: "Considering the human costs of measles, a preventable disease that can lead to long-term health complications and even death, we cannot afford to be complacent.
"Achieving high vaccination coverage costs considerably less than an outbreak of measles, and economically, as well as medically, it makes no sense at all to wait for measles to strike when we have the means to eliminate this disease."
Guenael Rodier, a specialist in communicable diseases at WHO Europe, said: "Complacency and unfounded scares about vaccine safety have led to a situation where measles is just waiting to strike in many countries.
"These countries could find they are hit hard economically. Scrimping on vaccination is a very expensive decision."
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