Measles outbreak in Spain

Spain is dealing with a significant measles outbreak. In the first two months of 2025, health authorities have confirmed 107 cases, spread across different regions. There were only 15 cases during the same period in 2024. According to the Ministry of Health and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Spain is the second most affected country in Europe by the disease this year. Most measles cases are in the Basque Country, followed by Catalonia, Andalucia, Aragon, and Castille-La Mancha. In Catalonia, the most recent cluster is linked to a group of French students who visited Barcelona earlier this month. There have been only two cases so far, but health officials are monitoring the group’s contacts to curb the spread.
There is debate about the causes of the outbreak, which was a bad surprise for Spain after it officially declared eliminating measles in 2016. For Jacobo Mendioroz, Deputy Director of Epidemiological Surveillance in Catalonia, imported cases from abroad are partly to blame, representing approximately 34% of this year’s infection. However, vaccination coverage in some regions is below the national average, increasing the vulnerability of local communities. In the Balearic Islands, for example, the two-dose vaccination rate is only 75% against a national one of 90%. The Ministry of Health warns that cases will continue to rise in the coming months, though the risk for the general population is low thanks to high overall vaccination rates.