Europe Sees Surge in Whooping Cough, Measles Cases
Figures published jointly by the European Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF at the start of European Vaccination Week showed that more than 298,000 whooping cough cases were recorded across the WHO European region last year, marking the highest total on record.
Measles infections also rose significantly, surpassing 127,000 cases and reaching a 27-year high across the region, which includes 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia.
According to the statement, the increase is partly linked to reduced awareness, the spread of misinformation, and growing distrust in vaccines and health authorities. It also highlighted uneven vaccination coverage and weaknesses in immunisation systems and primary healthcare infrastructure.
Despite these setbacks, the region has made major public health gains over previous decades.
It has remained free of polio since 2002, while diseases such as rubella and diphtheria have seen steep declines.
The statement warned against reversing this progress, stressing the need to strengthen immunisation programs at both national and regional levels and to improve coordinated global health efforts.
Whooping cough, a bacterial illness, can be especially dangerous for infants. It often begins with mild, cold-like symptoms before developing into severe coughing fits and breathing complications.
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