The number of measles cases has increased sharply in Ukraine: where outbreaks have been recorded and how to protect yourself
Kyiv • UNN
In 2024, 433 cases of measles were recorded in Ukraine, which is 7 times more than last year. The highest number of cases is in the Zakarpattia region, with 84.2% of cases among children under 17.
Last year, 433 cases of measles were registered in Ukraine, which is almost seven times more than in the same period in 2023, when there were only 65 cases. The situation among children is especially alarming: they account for 84.2% of cases (365 patients), which is ten times more than last year (35 cases). This is reported by the Center for Public Health of Ukraine, UNN reports.
"In 2024, 433 cases of measles were registered in Ukraine, which is almost seven times more than in the same period in 2023," the report says.
Who gets sick the most?
The most vulnerable are children under the age of 17. Statistics on the distribution of cases by age:
- up to 1 year - 36 cases,
- 1-4 years - 133,
- 5-9 years old - 99,
- 10-14 years old - 66,
- 15-17 years old - 31.
Adults account for 15.7% of patients (68 cases). The good news is that no fatalities have been recorded.
Vaccination remains the main protection against measles, but more than half of the patients (56.6%) were either not vaccinated or had no vaccination records. Among children, there were 150 of them, which is 61.2%.
Where are the most patients?
Measles was recorded in 18 out of 24 regions of Ukraine, with the highest number of cases detected in the city of Kyiv:
- Transcarpathian region - 219 cases (10 outbreaks),
- Chernivtsi - 97 (4 outbreaks),
- Odesa - 41 (6 outbreaks),
- Kyivska Street - 12 (1 flash),
- Lvivska Street - 10 (3 flashes).
The lowest number of measles cases was recorded in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, and Rivne regions (1-2 cases each).
So far, measles has not been detected in Dnipropetrovs'k, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Sumy and Kherson regions.
Outbreaks and imported cases
During the year, 19 cases of imported measles were recorded in Ukraine:
- 12 from Romania,
- 3 from Egypt,
- 1 each from Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Outbreaks among groups that have not been vaccinated should be noted separately:
- In May 2024, measles broke out among members of the Roma community in Zakarpattia. Similar cases were repeated in August, October, and November.
- In July, the disease broke out in Zakarpattia and Odesa regions among unvaccinated members of the Evangelical Christian Baptist Church.
- As of the beginning of 2025, an outbreak continues in the Roma community in Zakarpattia, and in January, measles was detected in a childcare center in Chernivtsi region.
BCG vaccination schedule to be changed in Ukraine: what awaits newborns16.01.25, 12:47 • 27109 views
How to protect yourself?
Vaccination is the only reliable way to protect yourself and your children. In Ukraine, measles vaccination is carried out in accordance with the National Calendar:
- The first vaccination is at 12 months,
- Revaccination is at the age of 6.
If a child has missed a routine vaccination, they need to catch up.
And if you have been in contact with a patient, you must be vaccinated within 72 hours after contact.
Recall
In Ukraine, 5 regions have slightly exceeded the epidemic threshold due to an increase in the incidence of ARVI, influenza, and COVID-19.
