The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has attributed the surge in measles and whooping cough cases across the European Union to the muted activity of these illnesses during the Covid-19 pandemic and an inadequate response to vaccination. In 2022, the European Union registered 200 cases of measles, but this figure has grown to nearly 6,000 over the past year, with at least five fatalities recorded.
Concerning Ireland, data as of 17th April reveals 16 confirmed measles cases and two outbreaks since the year’s commencement, with one reported death. Similarly, the incidence of whooping cough, referred to scientifically as pertussis, has risen, with figures from the ECDC indicating a tenfold surge in case numbers since mid-2023, a stark contrast to the numbers recorded between 2021 and 2022.
Over the past three months, Ireland’s weekly whooping cough cases have alternated between 0 and 11, reaching a minimum of five recently. In her remarks during the onset of European Immunisation Week, Director of ECDC, Andrea Ammon, acknowledged emerging global health risks including novel diseases and those previously deemed under control.
According to Ammon, the upswing in these diseases might be connected to diminished disease action during the pandemic years, along with ineffective vaccination efforts within the same period, plus declining immunity over time.
She noted a low vaccination turnout among specific population segments, primarily those facing a language or socio-economic barrier to health service access, coupled with greater vaccine scepticism. An ECDC report released in August revealed that Ireland possessed the most inadequate measles immunisation rate in Western Europe.
Speaking about those most affected by these diseases, Dr Sabrina Bacci, the ECDC’s chief of vaccine-preventable diseases, highlighted infants as the most susceptible demographic. She emphasised the need to safeguard infants from measles by ensuring vaccination for all those surrounding them.
Based on the statistics provided by the ECDC, it’s evident that unvaccinated individuals account for 90% of all reported measles occurrences. Additionally, the data highlights that one quarter of measles incidents are amongst adults. It goes without saying that vaccines continue to be a crucial life-preserving measure even in today’s era.