IRELAND HAS ONE of the lowest rates in Europe of immunisation against measles, according to a new report from the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC).

Ireland was one of nine EU countries which reported measles cases last year. 19 EEA countries have eliminated endemic measles.

The report said that measles rates in Europe have dropped below pre-pandemic levels, which may have been a result of lockdowns, but it is possible that measles infections were underreported during the pandemic as healthcare resources were focused on Covid-19.

Most measles patients were children under the age of five, but the report said that 39% of measles cases between 2018 and 2021 were in adults over 20. Of those adults, 73% were unvaccinated against measles.

In 2022, adults aged above 20 years accounted for 26% of the reported cases, and 72% were unvaccinated.

The report said that importation of measles cases between countries was reported last year, in greater numbers than previous years. It said: “When the overall vaccination coverage is low, the virus finds its way towards pockets of susceptible populations. Thus, transmission may occur and could lead
to extensive outbreaks.”

Last month, the HSE urged parents in Ireland to check their children were vaccinated against measles before travelling over the Easter break.

“Situations in which importations have been contained, even small outbreaks can create a severe burden on the health system in countries that have eliminated measles.”

Just four European countries – Hungary, Norway, Portugal and Slovakia – reported measles immunisation rates of at least 95% in 2021, compared to seven countries in 2019.

In 2021, 90% of people in Ireland had one dose of a measles vaccine, a decrease of 2% from 2018. The number of people with two doses was not available.

The report said that the pandemic may have had an effect on vaccination rates.

It continued: “Overall, a majority of EU/EEA countries have not reached or sustained high vaccination coverage of ≥95% with two doses of measles-containing vaccine[s]. Given the sub-optimal vaccination coverage in a number of countries, it is likely that in the future increases in the number of reported cases across the EU/EEA will be observed again.

“Continuous enhanced epidemiological surveillance and investigation of measles outbreaks are the cornerstones for measles to be controlled and eliminated. In order to strive for the highest coverage, it is critical to include hard-to-reach populations (refugees, immigrants, asylum seekers and Roma populations) in immunisation programmes (including catch-up campaigns).