The Ministry of Health assures that due to high vaccination coverage, the spread of measles has decreased
The Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergency Situations (CCAES) carried out a rapid risk assessment for Spain after significant increase in measles cases at European and global level. In the European Union, more than 10,000 cases of measles have been reported in recent months. Romania is the worst-affected country, with 80% of cases reported.
Since late 2022, there has been an increase in the number of measles cases and outbreaks worldwide, which continued to increase throughout 2023 and 2024.
Spain is in a situation elimination of measles since 2016 and has an average vaccination coverage of over 90% with 2 doses and 95% with one dose. In 2023, there were 14 confirmed cases, seven of them imported.
In 2024, in Spain, according to the latest data published by the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network, 249 suspected cases were registered, of which 123 were laboratory confirmed. They have More than 20 outbreaks with a limited number of cases have been identified. In addition, transmission of the virus was observed in health care settings: waiting rooms, emergency departments, and hospitalization units were identified as areas where transmission occurred.
In some autonomous communities, transmission occurs among unvaccinated populations, mainly from other countries where there are currently high levels of transmission; transmission particularly affects workers in the agricultural sector, who They move between autonomous communities.
It can be foreseen that the likelihood of the population living in Spain becoming infected with the measles virus on our territory or in the context trips abroad, is currently increasing due to the increasing number of cases occurring worldwide. Therefore, it is critical to maintain high levels of case detection and early implementation of public health measures in our territory.
Although the likelihood of infection increases, the risk of infection in the general population in Spain is considered low due to high vaccination coverage. However, there is the possibility of transmission of the virus among susceptible populations in which adequate vaccination coverage has not been achieved or among those who have not previously had the disease.
In this sense, as long as the high incidence situation persists in some neighboring countries, it is expected that cases and outbreaks continue to appear among a population that is not immune to the disease.
In the current conditions it is necessary to do efforts to achieve and maintain high vaccination coverage in all autonomous communities and cities. In this regard, it is particularly important to implement communication and active recruitment strategies, especially targeting populations that are not adequately protected and that may facilitate measles transmission.