Last year, 117 cases of measles, including 31 imported, were declared, compared to respectively 15 in 2022, 16 in 2021 and 240 in 2020, indicates a report published Wednesday, which confirms the international trend. No deaths have been reported.
“If the number of cases has increased eightfold compared to 2022”, mainly due to a grouped episode among college students in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, “it still remains very limited compared to the pre -Covid” (average of 1,538 cases between 2016-2019), specifies the health agency.
In 2023, 27 measles hospitalizations in France
Since the last epidemic in 2018-2019, interrupted at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the measles virus had “circulated very little, causing a few isolated sporadic cases” in France. But since 2022 and particularly in 2023, a resurgence of measles has been observed around the world, after a drop in vaccination coverage observed post-Covid.
A highly contagious viral disease, measles is often benign, but can cause serious respiratory and neurological complications. It usually manifests itself as a rash preceded by rhinitis, conjunctivitis, cough, accompanied by very high fever and great fatigue.
In 2023, it led to 27 hospitalizations in France, including two in intensive care, mainly children under 5 years old and adults over 30 years old, and 12 cases with complications, mainly pneumonia.
The disease mainly affects children, but not only. The median age of cases was 12 years, higher than in previous years, linked to the outbreak among middle school students.
Millions of visitors expected for the Olympics
In 2023, France recorded “a notable increase in imported cases” (31 compared to 5 in 2022), more than half of whom were unvaccinated, which led to “chains of transmission”. Seven epidemic outbreaks (including four linked to imported cases) were counted, the largest in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with 64 cases.
While France will welcome “millions of foreign visitors on the occasion of the Olympic (July 26-August 11) and Paralympic Games” (August 28-September 8) and “measles epidemics are raging in Russia and across Europe. the east, particularly in Romania, the risk of importation is increasing,” warned SpF.
Especially since the World Health Organization said at the end of February that it was “extremely concerned” by a strong resurgence of measles in the world, after a relaxation of vaccination.
More than 306,000 cases were recorded in 2023, a jump of 79% in one year, said the WHO, according to which the real figures are much higher. An increase in deaths is also anticipated, but the data is not yet available.
Vaccination, the only protection
“Measles and rubella prevention is no longer a global and governmental priority due to competing issues such as Covid-19, economic crises, conflicts, etc.,” according to the organization. In the absence of treatment for measles, vaccination is the only protection – even if no vaccine is 100% effective.
In 2023, out of 96 cases eligible for vaccination and with known status, 44% were not vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), 9% had received one dose, 46% two doses (the required number ), 1% an unknown number.
A large part of the cases in two-dose vaccinees came from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes episode, SpF pointed out. “The age of vaccination at the time of the first dose could have explained the lower protection of these college students in the long term.”
In France, “in recent years, vaccination coverage against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) has significantly improved,” according to SpF. With compulsory vaccination for infants since 2018, the target of 95% coverage at the age of 2 should be “soon achieved”.