WHO Europe noted that “European countries must take action now to prevent continued measles outbreaks in 2012.” A report in the current Weekly Epidemiological Record http://www.who.int/entity/wer/2011/wer8649.pdf “emphasizes the urgent actions European countries should take to prevent measles outbreaks in 2012 and beyond, particularly with the approaching high season for measles transmission. More than 26,000 cases of measles occurred in 36 European countries from January-October 2011, with more than 14,000 of those in France.  Despite strong health systems, Western European countries have reported 83% of these cases. These outbreaks have caused nine deaths, including six in France, and 7288 hospitalizations.”

Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said, “The increase in measles in European countries reveals a serious challenge to achieving the regional measles elimination goal by 2015. Every country in the European Region must take the opportunity now to raise coverage amongst susceptible populations, improve surveillance and severely reduce measles virus circulation before the approaching measles high season. ” The peak months for measles outbreaks in Europe are typically from February through to May. The majority of European cases (90%) were amongst adolescents and adults who had not been vaccinated or for whom vaccination history was not reported.

http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-publish/information-for-the-media/sections/latest-press-releases/european-countries-must-take-action-now-to-prevent-continued-measles-outbreaks-in-2012