The US risks losing its measles-free status: what it means for Europe and Uzbekistan

Rising case numbers in the US and the risk of losing its status

The United States risks losing its measles-free status amid a sharp rise in cases, Euronews reports. This year, the country has recorded more than 4,500 cases — roughly twice as many as in all of last year. A forecast published in JAMAshows that if vaccination rates remain low, measles could once again become endemic in the US: over 25 years, this could mean 851,300 cases, more than 170,000 hospitalizations and 2,550 deaths.

Why the outbreak across the ocean matters for Europe

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases: the virus is transmitted roughly four days before the characteristic rash appears, so a person can cross several borders without knowing they are ill. “Fifteen minutes of face-to-face contact with an infectious person is enough for you to most likely catch measles,” said Kitti Mohan, vice-president of the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME). According to the CDC, the largest outbreaks are currently not in the US but in Bangladesh (more than 65,430 cases), Indonesia (46,578) and Guatemala (31,222).

Vaccination coverage in Europe is below the target level

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) told Euronews that vaccination coverage in the region stands at 92% for the first dose and 88% for the second. This is below the recommended level of 95% for both doses, which is needed to prevent sustained transmission and eliminate measles. At the same time, national averages can hide individual districts and communities with low coverage. According to the ECDC, the risk to people in Europe remains unchanged: moderate for infants under 12 months, children aged one to five, and people with immunodeficiency; low to moderate for older unvaccinated children and adults. Monitoring data show fewer cases in 2026 than in 2025, but the figures are still preliminary.

The example of Sweden: a local outbreak without further spread

The ECDC stressed that the presence of an unvaccinated group does not automatically mean a large outbreak will spread, and cited the example of the Urkult festival in northern Sweden. The outbreak from July 30 to August 2 this year mainly affected unvaccinated children and adolescents: 28 cases, including 12 secondary ones, but no sustained transmission occurred in the wider population. Johanna Rubin, acting head of the vaccination department at the Swedish Public Health Agency, attributed this to the high level of immunity in the population thanks to active participation in the childhood vaccination programme.

Uzbekistan on the list of countries with renewed endemic transmission

For readers in Uzbekistan, this news is directly relevant to the country: according to case data for 2024 published earlier this year, Uzbekistan was among six European countries — together with Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Spain and the United Kingdom — where endemic measles transmission has been re-established, meaning the country lost its measles-free status. Measles remains endemic in twelve European countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine; Romania recorded the most cases in 2024 — 30,692, compared with 3,371 in 2023. The ECDC recommends that countries close immunity gaps, ensure timely administration of both vaccine doses, offer catch-up vaccination to adolescents and adults, and maintain surveillance and outbreak response systems.