Overview
- The ruling follows 3,681 UK measles cases recorded in 2024, meeting the threshold for re‑established transmission under WHO criteria.
- UKHSA data show 2024/25 coverage of 91.9% for one MMR dose and 83.7% for two doses among five‑year‑olds, below the 95% level needed to sustain elimination.
- Transmission has persisted into 2025, with 957 cases reported in England so far, mostly in unvaccinated children, alongside hospitalisations and at least one preventable child death.
- In response, the NHS introduced the combined MMRV vaccine and moved the second dose to 18 months, with catch‑up efforts for older children and adults who missed vaccination.
- Spain, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan also lost elimination status as WHO/Europe urged strengthened surveillance and targeted outreach to under‑immunised communities.