Europe Risks Facing Measles Outbreak If Routine Immunization Services Not Resumed - UNICEF

Europe Risks Facing Measles Outbreak If Routine Immunization Services Not Resumed - UNICEF

Afshan Khan, a regional director for Europe and Central Asia at the UN children's agency, UNICEF, told Sputnik that a new outbreak of measles was likely to happen in Europe if routine vaccination, which was disrupted in several regions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was not immediately resumed in every country

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd June, 2020) Afshan Khan, a regional director for Europe and Central Asia at the UN children's agency, UNICEF, told Sputnik that a new outbreak of measles was likely to happen in Europe if routine vaccination, which was disrupted in several regions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was not immediately resumed in every country.

"I think in Europe if we don't get vaccine coverage back up, we risk a measles outbreak, that's for sure. ... So it's a real possibility unless we are able to restore routine vaccination services in this region," Khan said.

According to the director, most countries in Eastern and Central Europe, as well as in Central Asia, have temporarily suspended immunization services.

"More than half of 129 countries, where data is available, reported moderate or severe disruptions or total suspension of vaccination services during March and April. ...That's putting millions of children at risk to contract vaccine-preventable diseases. For us, it's making sure that countries resume vaccination services as quickly as possible," Khan noted.

The UNICEF regional director went on to say that there was no disruption in the vaccine supply across Europe and that countries have enough stocks to resume the vaccination process.

"We all have to remember that if immunization coverage of 95% is not achieved and sustained in every community, then we'll be unable to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases... In Europe it's principally measles that's going to be the main issue, because that's the risk we faced in the past," Khan said.

She added that health risks among children remain very high in low-income countries, which fail to provide adequate sanitation for the population.