- Tweeter
republish
Is Europe losing the battle in the fight against measles? It is the fear of the World Health Organization that is worried about the number of cases reported on the continent: 90,000 in the first six months of the year, already more than in 2018.
According to the WHO, measles is still classified as a Level 2 emergency on a scale of three. The novelty is that four European countries that have got rid of it have seen the disease reappear. These are Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece and the United Kingdom .
WHO's Director of Immunization, Kate O'Brien, deplores the ravages of fake news . " There are really people who are subject to disinformation, she is sorry. Not only about the dangerousness of measles, but also about the effectiveness of vaccines and their safety. Misinformation is a growing threat. Unfortunately, it's very difficult for parents to sort out things and determine what information is true or not. "
Two countries are still in the club of those who have succeeded in interrupting the transmission of measles on their territory: Switzerland and Austria.
But the WHO warns: if governments do not intensify their efforts, the number of patients will continue to increase. And not only in children. Measles can also affect adults. The disease, highly contagious, can be fatal in some cases. Two doses of vaccine are enough to be protected.