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A highly contagious disease once considered nearly eliminated is returning with alarming intensity across Europe, raising concerns for Greek health authorities monitoring the regional crisis.
Europe faces a severe measles outbreak with over 18,000 cases since June 2024, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. May alone recorded 686 cases – a monthly record that has Greek officials watching neighboring regions.
Romania has become Europe’s measles hotspot, with over 3,500 cases this year, where vaccination coverage dropped below 70 percent. France and Italy report hundreds of cases, particularly in urban centers and migrant communities with limited healthcare access – populations that could affect Greece through regional travel.
The US is experiencing its worst epidemic since 1992, with 1,297 confirmed cases. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr worsened the crisis by downplaying the outbreak’s severity and questioning vaccine effectiveness.Â
Athanasios Tsakris is a professor of Microbiology at the Medical School of the University of Athens.