Europe hit by measles with Ukraine suffering most, says WHO
Ukraine has had more than 25,000 people infected in the first two months of the year, mostly due to lack of vaccination
London — More than 34,000 people across Europe caught measles in the first two months of 2019, with the vast majority of cases in Ukraine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday as it urged authorities to ensure vulnerable people get vaccinated. The death toll among 34,300 cases reported across 42 countries in the WHO’s European region has reached 13, with the virus killing people in Ukraine — which is suffering a measles epidemic — as well as in Romania and Albania. The risk is that outbreaks may continue to spread, the WHO warned. “If outbreak response is not timely and comprehensive, the virus will find its way into more pockets of vulnerable individuals and potentially spread to additional countries within and beyond the region,” it said in a statement. “Every opportunity should be used to vaccinate susceptible children, adolescents and adults.” Measles is a highly contagious disease that can kill and cause blindness, deafness or brain damage. It can be prevented wi...
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