Netherlands: huge rise of measles cases in late February

The number of measles cases in the Netherlands has increased significantly in the second half of February. 29 new cases were reported in the two weeks, taking the total number of infections to 63. They were just 13 in the first two months of 2024. The highest number of infections has been registered in the southeast part of Noord-Brabant, with a significant outbreak linked to a primary school. However, there have also been several “family clusters” in the western part of the province and around Rotterdam. The National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) said many patients caught the virus during trips abroad, especially in Morocco and Romania. It also added that large measles outbreaks are common every 10 to 15 years in the country. The last one was in 2013 and 2014.
Measles is very contagious, especially among unvaccinated people, and can sometimes result in serious complications like lung infection and meningitis. Dutch health authorities promote vaccination as the main protection measure against the disease.