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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

WHO issues measles warning as yearly cases in Europe rise more than 30-fold

A medical worker holds a syringe next to vial of the MMR vaccine on a metal tray
Vaccination rates for the first dose of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, fell from 96% in 2019 to 93% in 2022 across Europe. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

The World Health Organization has issued an urgent warning over measles after an “alarming” 30-fold rise in cases across Europe.

The UN agency reported an enormous increase in numbers affected by the disease, which it said had accelerated in recent months. More than 30,000 cases were reported between January and October last year, compared with 941 cases in the whole of 2022 – a more than 30-fold rise.

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