European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Reports 143 Measles Cases Across Ten Nations in August 2026
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) released surveillance data showing that 28 European Union and European Economic Area countries reported measles statistics for August 2026, during which ten nations documented 143 total cases. According to MesVaccins, the reporting period revealed a monthly increase in infections compared to July, though figures remain subject to retrospective updates as health authorities process delayed notifications.
National Case Distributions and Notification Rates Across the European Union
Bulgaria recorded the highest single-month caseload in August with 62 infections, followed by Sweden with 41 cases, Italy with 18, Spain with 9, and Germany with 6. Across a broader twelve-month window spanning from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2026, 30 EU and EEA member states identified 2,335 total measles infections. Laboratory testing confirmed 2,040 of those cases, representing 87.4 percent of the total. Five countries—Hungary, Malta, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, and Croatia—reported zero cases during this twelve-month timeframe.
Italy documented the highest cumulative total over the twelve-month period with 653 cases, accounting for 28 percent of the European total. Bulgaria followed with 564 cases (24.2 percent), Romania with 255 cases (10.9 percent), Spain with 230 cases (9.9 percent), France with 146 cases (6.3 percent), and Germany with 120 cases (5 percent). When adjusted for population size, the ECDC calculated an average notification rate of 5.1 cases per million inhabitants across the EU and EEA. Several nations exceeded this average significantly, led by Bulgaria at 87.6 cases per million, Latvia at 26.3, Romania at 13.4, Italy at 11.1, Estonia at 7.3, Belgium at 5.4, and Lithuania at 5.2.
Imported Transmission Chains and Vaccination Status Among Patients
Of the 2,335 cases reported during the twelve-month surveillance window, 191 infections (8.2 percent) involved direct importation from outside the reporting countries. An additional 206 cases (8.8 percent) were linked to importation, denoting transmission chains originating from an imported index case. Public health investigators determined age and vaccination status for 2,068 of the patients. Among this cohort, 1,487 individuals—equivalent to 71.9 percent—had received no vaccinations against measles. Furthermore, 342 patients (16.5 percent) had received a single vaccine dose, 193 patients (9.3 percent) had received two or more doses, and 45 individuals (2.2 percent) possessed an unknown vaccination history.
Vaccine Coverage Estimates and Regional Immunity Gaps
Public health guidelines recommend a sustained two-dose measles vaccination coverage rate of at least 95 percent to maintain population immunity and prevent outbreaks. However, recent World Health Organization and UNICEF national coverage estimates for 2024 indicate that only four EU and EEA countries—Cyprus, Hungary, Iceland, and Portugal—achieved the 95 percent threshold for both the first and second doses. In France, national coverage reached 95 percent for the first dose and 93 percent for the second dose in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 European Measles Data
Which European countries reported zero measles cases between September 2025 and August 2026?
Hungary, Malta, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, and Croatia reported no measles cases during the twelve-month period evaluated by the ECDC.
What proportion of measles patients in the twelve-month dataset were unvaccinated?
Among the 2,068 patients with a documented vaccination history, 1,487 individuals, or 71.9 percent, had not received any doses of the measles vaccine.
How many EU and EEA countries met the 95 percent vaccination coverage target in 2024?
Only four countries—Cyprus, Hungary, Iceland, and Portugal—reported reaching the recommended 95 percent coverage threshold for both the first and second vaccine doses.
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