Measles increases by 400 percent across Europe

Measles a disease that was one ubiquitous globally and one of the world's leading causes of death, declined in prevalence dramatically  during the later half of the 20th century. In 2010 the European
Union all signed a pact that they would work to eliminate measles from the continent by 2020.

Eliminating measles from Europe and the world is a public health priority because measles a highly contagious  and virulent pathogen.  Measles causes a high fever, headache, malaise, rash and in some cases (especially those with a Vitiamin A deficiency, death.
 
In the 1950s and 60s measles was a ubiquitous disease, causing an especially large outbreak every couple of years. In those outbreak years there were between three and four million deaths. 

In 1963 however, a highly effective measles vaccine was licensed. The vaccine, which has an efficiency of over 97%, has greatly reduced the prevalence of disease.

 Measles was totally eliminated from the United States by the year 2000, and was reduced to just a couple thousand cases all across Europe. The reductions were not to last.

Anti-vaxxer's led by Jenne McCarthy and others convinced people that the measles vaccine was linked to autism (which it is not). Millions did not get their vaccines. With a larger susceptible population, measles made a comeback and last year infected over 21,000 people across Europe. 

That represents over a 400% increase in disease prevalence over the last year. 

- Chris

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/downloads/measlesdataandstatsslideset.pdf