WHO Measles Brief

Recent WHO measles news, in one page.

This snapshot pulls together recent World Health Organization measles updates published between April 2025 and February 2026. It focuses on what changed, where outbreaks or progress were reported, and what WHO keeps repeating: immunity gaps remain the core risk.

33,998 Measles cases reported across Europe and Central Asia in 2025, per preliminary WHO/UNICEF data published on 11 February 2026.

2,996 Suspected cases reported in Sumenep, Indonesia, before the outbreak was declared ended on 9 February 2026.

2,318 Confirmed cases in the WHO Region of the Americas from 1 January to 18 April 2025, according to WHO's 28 April 2025 outbreak update.

Latest WHO headlines

11 February 2026

Europe and Central Asia saw a large drop in 2025 cases, but WHO says the rebound risk is still real.

WHO and UNICEF reported 33,998 measles cases in 2025 across 53 countries in the WHO European Region. That is down nearly 75% from 127,412 in 2024, but WHO warned the decline is fragile because immunity gaps and misinformation still leave communities exposed.

Source: WHO Europe / UNICEF media release

9 February 2026

WHO Indonesia reported Sumenep had ended its measles outbreak after a large local response.

WHO said Sumenep district in East Java faced a sharp rise in cases from around August 2025. The outbreak response covered surveillance, field investigation, local advocacy, and accelerated immunization after 2,996 suspected cases and 205 confirmed cases were recorded.

Source: WHO Indonesia update

28 April 2025

WHO flagged an 11-fold rise in measles cases in the Americas versus the same period in 2024.

WHO reported 2,318 confirmed cases and three deaths across six countries in the Region of the Americas as of 18 April 2025, with most cases among unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status. WHO assessed the regional risk as high.

Source: WHO Disease Outbreak News

27 March 2025

WHO published a U.S. outbreak notice after cases and deaths exceeded recent years.

WHO said the United States reported 378 cases in 17 states from 1 January to 20 March 2025, including two deaths. WHO noted the majority of cases were in children who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.

Source: WHO Disease Outbreak News

24 April 2025

WHO, UNICEF and Gavi warned funding stress could reverse measles progress.

WHO said measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million in 2023, up 20% from 2022, while nearly half of surveyed WHO country offices reported moderate to severe disruption to vaccination campaigns or routine immunization because of donor funding reductions.

Source: WHO / UNICEF / Gavi joint release

What stands out

WHO’s latest dated measles item I found is the 11 February 2026 Europe and Central Asia release.
The current pattern is mixed: some regions are seeing fewer cases than 2024, but outbreak risk remains elevated where vaccination coverage is below 95%.
WHO repeatedly links measles spread to under-vaccinated communities, delayed detection, and hesitancy.
Funding pressure is part of the story now, not just epidemiology.

Why WHO is concerned

The message is consistent across the official updates: measles rebounds quickly when routine immunization slips. Even where cases are falling, WHO is treating current gains as unstable until communities close immunity gaps and sustain surveillance.