UK and European Countries Lose Measles Elimination Status

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the UK and several other European countries have lost their measles elimination status.

This means that measles is no longer considered eliminated in these countries because there have been recent cases.

Measles is a very contagious disease that can cause fever and rash, and sometimes serious problems.

The WHO says this is because not enough people are getting vaccinated.

To stop measles, the WHO says 95% of people need to be vaccinated, but in the UK, only 84.4% of children had both doses of the vaccine in 2024.

The UK had 2,911 cases of measles in 2024, the most since 2012.

The WHO is asking countries to make sure more people get vaccinated, especially those who are not well protected.