The World Health Organisation has confirmed 35 people have died of measles across Europe in the past six months and has warned that vaccine is critical to stop it spreading . The most recent case was a six - year - old Italian boy who had not been vaccinated and died in June after contracting the disease – Italy has a particularly high incidence of malaria . The European Centre for Disease Prevention and prevention said incidence of measles in Europe surged by 50 % in the first five months of 2017 compared to the same period last year , primarily because of the prevalence of anti - vaccine movements and complacency among parents .
The World Health Organisation has confirmed 35 people have died of measles across Europe in the past 12 months and has warned that vaccination remains critical to stop it spreading. The most recent case was a six-year-old Italian boy who had not been vaccinated and died in June after contracting the disease – Italy has a particularly high incidence of measles. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said cases of measles in Europe surged by 50% in the first five months of 2017 compared to the same period last year, primarily because of the rise of anti-vaccine movements and complacency among parents.