The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), operating within the European Union, announced that there was an increase in measles and whooping cough cases and brought up the need to comply with vaccination protocols. In her statement, ECDC Director Andrea Ammon emphasized that although there has been a significant decrease in the death rate from vaccine-preventable diseases, they continue to spread among the population. “These diseases especially inflict pain on vulnerable and vulnerable people of all ages,” Ammon said. At least 5,770 measles cases and 5 deaths were reported between March 2023 and the end of February 2024.
BABIES AND CHILDREN ARE AT MORE RISK
Because it spreads easily, a sick person with measles can infect 12 to 18 people. To stop measles transmission, at least 95 percent of the population needs to receive two doses of the vaccine. There has been a huge increase in cases of whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory infection, in the EU since mid-2023. The data shows a tenfold increase in whooping cough cases in 2023 and 2024 compared to 2022 and 2021. In both cases, newborn babies and young children who cannot be vaccinated suffer the most severe consequences. Newborn babies and young children need to be protected by herd immunity.
IN PANDEMIC VACCINES ARE DISRUPTIVE
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 1.8 million babies in Europe missed the measles vaccine between 2020 and 2022. WHO found that the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in the supply chain, diversion of resources to COVID-19 response efforts, and quarantines limiting vaccination services have led to many children being deprived of vaccines.
