Expert warns: Europe risks measles outbreak as children miss out on jabs

Dr Andrea Ammon, the Director of The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), also suggests the potential resurgence of mumps and rubella

The warning of a heightened risk of measles outbreaks in the coming months comes after substantial numbers of young children missed out on protective vaccinations during the pandemic, according to the Financial Times.

Dr Ammon added that some countries had not completed their full childhood vaccination programmes. “We will have to have a good look and catch up on vaccinations, otherwise I think we will face a lot of outbreaks,” she warned.

The Doctor also raised concerns about rates of Covid-19 infections among the over-65s, the group at highest risk from the disease.

Ammon also expressed concern about Covid infections in the over-65s, the age group generally considered at the greatest risk of poor outcomes from the disease. While Covid cases were declining overall, “we do see in some countries rising numbers and rates in over-65-year-olds, which is something that has to be looked at because these are the more vulnerable groups for severe disease.”

She added that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused severe disruption to vaccination programs and said ” even before the pandemic not every country in the EU had good child vaccination coverage.”

“We need systems that give us, or increase, the timeliness, completeness and comparability of the data,” she added. “Some countries,” she said, “have certainly changed their testing practices and we just are encouraging the countries that they keep enough of testing to have high enough sensitivity to detect increases earlier”.

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