Measles outbreaks across Europe are mostly affecting people who have not been vaccinated, according to a new analysis.
The outbreaks have led to the deaths of one in a thousand infected patients – but infants have been six times more likely than others to die from the virus, the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, heard.
The findings come from an analysis of more than 37,000 infections reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control over a five year period.
The outbreaks mostly affected the UK, Italy, Germany, Romania and the Netherlands.
The researchers found that 81% of the infected patients had not been vaccinated. About a third needed hospital care and 11% developed pneumonia.
Dr Emmanuel Robesyn, from the centre’s headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, told the conference the findings reinforced World Health Organisation guidance that high rates of immunisation are key to eliminating measles and rubella.
Abstract no: O0060, How does the outcome of measles cases under one year of age differ from that of older cases, EU/EEA 2013 – 2017
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