WHO issues warning as measles infects 34,000 in Europe this year

LONDON - More than 34,000 people across Europe caught measles in the first two months of 2019, with the vast majority of cases in Ukraine, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday as it urged the authorities to ensure vulnerable people get vaccinated.

"If outbreak response is not timely and comprehensive, the virus will find its way into more pockets of vulnerable individuals and potentially spread to additional countries within and beyond the region," it said in a statement.Measles is a highly contagious disease that can kill and cause blindness, deafness or brain damage.

There is no specific antiviral treatment for measles, and vaccination is the only way to prevent it, the WHO said. Most cases are in unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people. The WHO called on national health authorities across the region to focus efforts on ensuring all population groups have access to vaccines.

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