Great Britain, Albania, the Czech Republic and Greece are free from measles. But more and more people in Europe are contracting the disease. More people are now sick in these four countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Thus, they lose their measles-free status.

– We’re afraid the measles have returned. We need enough people to get vaccinated. And it stays like that. Otherwise, both children and adults will suffer needlessly. In some cases, some people will die, Gunter Pfaff said. He is a department head at WHO.

In the first six months of this year, nearly 90,000 cases of the disease were recorded. It is in 48 countries in Europe. This number is double compared to the same period last year.

Measles is a very contagious disease. It comes from a virus. This disease spreads through droplet infection. This means that the virus can be transmitted through saliva, for example when someone sneezes. Signs of this disease are a severe runny nose, fever, and rash. Vaccines can prevent the disease. But more and more people are skeptical of vaccines. This is what happens in several countries. WHO is concerned about that.

– Misinformation about vaccines is as contagious and dangerous as the diseases it helps spread, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week. He is the Director General of WHO.

According to WHO, the vaccine is very effective. The organization encourages everyone to make sure they get enough vaccinations.

In 2017, according to WHO, around 110,000 people died from measles. Most of them are children under the age of five.