This article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) discusses the increase in measles virus transmission and outbreaks of measles seen in the WHO European Region (EUR) since late 2009.  In 2011, measles outbreaks were reported in 36 of 53 EUR member states, with a total of 26,074 cases reported region-wide as of October 26.  The largest number of cases was reported in France, predominantly among older children and young adults who had not been vaccinated or whose vaccination history was unknown.

The authors note that the primary reason for the increased transmission and outbreaks of measles in the EUR is failure to vaccinate susceptible populations, and that the target of eliminating measles by 2015 will require:

• increasing demand for and delivery of vaccination to achieve and sustain ≥95% coverage with 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine across a wide age range
• implementing effective outbreak control measures
• further strengthening surveillance to identify cases and outbreaks promptly, and in the future, to validate elimination