April 2026

Summary:

• • • Global resurgence: Approximately 10.3 million measles infections were recorded worldwide in 2023 (+20% vs. 2022); in 2022, 136,000 deaths occurred, predominantly among young children.
    • Vaccination gaps: Only 76% of children globally completed the two-dose schedule; more than 30 million children remain inadequately protected.
    • Austria’s situation: 542 laboratory-confirmed cases (2024) and 152 cases (2025) — the highest incidence in 25 years; Austria has lost its measles elimination status.
    • High transmissibility: Secondary attack rates of up to 90% among susceptible individuals; herd immunity requires population-level immunity of 95%.
    • Vaccination works: One dose provides ~93% protection, two doses ~97% — timely routine immunisation and catch-up campaigns are essential.

The measles virus, long considered largely under control in many high-income countries, has re-emerged as a significant global public health concern. Recent reports indicate that physicians across Europe and North America are increasingly encountering cases that had become rare in routine practice. According to estimates from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were approximately 9 million measles cases and 136,000 associated deaths worldwide in 2022, disproportionately affecting young children. This trend continued into 2023, with an estimated 10.3 million infections — a 20% increase compared to the previous year.

Insufficient vaccination coverage remains the primary driver of this resurgence. In 2024, global immunisation data show that only 84% of children received a first dose of a measles vaccine, while 76% completed the recommended two-dose schedule. As a result, more than 30 million children remain inadequately protected, contributing to widespread transmission and the occurrence of large or severe outbreaks in at least 60 countries. Analyses attribute these immunity gaps to a combination of factors, including disruptions to routine immunisation services during the COVID-19 pandemic and growing vaccine hesitancy.

In Austria, declining population immunity illustrates the regional consequences. Surveillance data from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) document 542 laboratory-confirmed cases in 2024 and 152 cases in 2025, representing the highest incidence in 25 years. Against this backdrop, Austria has lost its measles elimination status, as sustained transmission over more than 12 months could no longer be excluded — a sign of persistent immunity gaps in the population.

Measles is characterised by exceptionally high transmissibility. Secondary attack rates among susceptible individuals can reach up to 90%. Nevertheless, measles remains a vaccine-preventable disease. A single dose of measles vaccine provides approximately 93% protection, rising to around 97% after two doses. Achieving herd immunity requires population-level immunity of approximately 95% — a threshold currently not reached in Austria or in many other countries.

These findings underscore the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates and closing existing immunity gaps through timely routine immunisations and targeted catch-up campaigns.

Sources:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00367-5

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p1116-global-measles.html

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles

https://www.ages.at/en/human/disease/pathogens-from-a-to-z/measles 

Vienna Centre for Virology – “VIRUS EPIDEMIOLOGY BULLETIN” No. 02/26