Measles-related complications alert in Italy

The Italian Medicines Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco, AIFA) has issued a warning regarding complications associated with the measles virus, which has already resulted in 864 cases within the country by the end of August 2024. 32.8% of cases reported by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) were found to have developed at least one complication, with 91 cases of pneumonia and a single case of encephalitis identified. As posited by experts in the field, encephalitis has the potential to be fatal in approximately 15% of cases and, in 40% of cases, can result in permanent damage such as mental retardation, epilepsy, and deafness. Following a reduction in coverage in 2022, data as of 20 June 2023 indicate that 94.40% of children under 24 months have been vaccinated, approaching the 95% threshold identified as necessary to achieve herd immunity. However, the recent rise in measles cases within the country is due to lower vaccination rates observed in cohorts after the last data point in June 2023.