The UK is one of several European countries to lose its status as measles-free amid a diminishing uptake of the MMR vaccine.
The UK’s measles status was classed as “re-established” in an update from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC). The RVC decides the elimination status for member states based on their most recent annual data.
Other countries in Europe to lose eliminated status include Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Spain, and Uzbekistan.
Sustained coverage of at least 95% with 2 doses of measles- and rubella-containing vaccines is needed to eliminate the viruses. Children in Britain are offered two doses of the MMR jab, at 12 and 18 months old.
As per data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), MMR coverage at the second dose stood at 84.4% in 2024. This is down from 89.3% in 2014, a year in which there were 96 cases. The number of cases surged to 3,681 in 2024.
The WHO’s RVC said it “noted with concern the loss of measles elimination status in some member states, including some with high-performing immunisation programmes”.
“The situation in 2024 highlighted the urgent need for increased political and financial commitment from countries and international organisations,” it added.
Measles, which is more common in children, is a highly contagious, serious airborne disease caused by a virus that can lead to severe complications and death. According to WHO, vaccinations have helped to avert nearly 59 million deaths between 2000 and 2024.
Responding to the UK’s status change, Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said: “Infections can return quickly when childhood vaccine uptake falls; measles elimination is only possible if all eligible children receive two MMRV doses before school.
"Older children and adults who missed vaccination must be caught up. The UK National Health Service (NHS) is making vaccination easier, including offering the second MMRV dose earlier at a new 19-month appointment to boost uptake and support elimination goals.”
Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush, assistant professor of Global Health & Development at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine: “It is unsurprising the UK has lost its WHO measles elimination status, [...] sustained measles transmission reflects a decade-long decline in routine vaccination coverage and the persistent failure in the UK to reach the 95% measles vaccine coverage threshold recommended by WHO."
While neither health authority pointed to factors that were driving a reduced uptake of vaccines, the rise in measles cases has coincided with major immunisation policy shifts in the US. In November 2025, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website to state that there could be a link between autism and vaccines. US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F Kennedy (RFK) Jr, has long promoted this claim and instigated research into proving the link.
Experts and medical bodies condemned the CDC and RFK Jr for the correlation, though public attitudes on immunisation have undoubtedly changed as a result of the US administration’s position.
In direct response to the developments in the US, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a statement reaffirming the safety of childhood vaccination in November 2025.
Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, said: “Vaccination remains one of the most effective and safest ways to protect against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, supported by decades of scientific evidence in the UK and internationally.”
There have been several policy changes regarding immunisation in the US recently, most notably the scrapping of broad hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for newborns.
