Measles Explodes Across Austria as Vaccination Rates Fall
Austria has lost its measles elimination status from the WHO after vaccination coverage dropped far below the required 95 percent, allowing the virus to spread again across the country.
Health officials warn that measles is not a harmless childhood illness but a highly contagious viral infection that can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and brain inflammation, and can even be fatal. During the large outbreak in 2024, more than 20 percent of infected patients required hospital treatment.
نغمه کمالیان-اشمید, Vice President of the Vienna Chamber of Physicians’ Resident Doctors’ Curia, stressed that there is no specific treatment for measles once infection occurs. She urged the public to use the free vaccination program, saying immunization is the only reliable way to prevent the disease.
In Austria, the measles vaccine is given as part of the combined MMR vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella. The vaccine is safe, highly effective, and available free of charge for both children and adults, including those who missed their childhood doses. Family doctors and pediatricians are the main providers of these vaccinations.
To improve vaccination rates, the Vienna Medical Association is calling for easier access to vaccines and a one-stop system in medical practices where vaccines can be both prescribed and administered. Vaccination checks should also become a routine part of annual medical examinations to close existing gaps and prevent future outbreaks.