Measles - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2022

In 2022, 127 cases of measles and zero deaths were reported by 15 out of 30 EU/EEA Member States. The overall notification rate was 0.3 cases per 1 000 000 population. This was significantly lower than in 2018 and 2019 (34.4 and 25.4, respectively) before the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Europe, and slightly higher than the rate observed in 2021 (0.1). This represents a 99% decrease compared to 2018, and a 96% decrease compared to 2019.

In 2022, age-specific notification rates decreased with increasing age, with children in the <1-year and 1–4-year age groups most affected. In 2022, 80% of the measles cases between the age of 1–4 years were unvaccinated.

Adults aged 20 years and above accounted for 26% of the cases in 2022, with 72% of them being unvaccinated, similar to the previous years (2018–2021).

It is likely that the observed epidemiology of measles has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the control measures implemented during that period, along with the repurposing of healthcare services and possible under-reporting of measles cases. Continuous high-quality surveillance, rigorous outbreak investigations and accelerated efforts to increase the uptake of both routine childhood immunisation as well as catch-up campaigns aimed at adolescents and adults, are key tools to closely monitor the measles epidemiology in the EU/EEA and close immunity gaps in the population.