Measles infections are up 2500% in the Czech Republic over the last two years

In 2016, there were 7 reported cases of measles in the Czech Republic.

That number shot up to 142 last year. By December 7, 2018, it stood at 189 instances.

“One of the major factors influencing this situation is the negative attitude of the population to vaccines and especially the measles vaccination, which is fundamentally influenced by anti-vaccine campaigns,” Kateřina Fabiánová, from the Department of Infectious Diseases of the State Health Institute, told the server.

While measles vaccinations are mandatory in the Czech Republic for all children after the age of 13 months, a large percentage of the cases of infections are among unvaccinated children.

In Prague alone, there were 22 cases of measles reported in unvaccinated children; six of them were under the age of 13 months, and parents had refused vaccination in the other 16 cases, according to a report from Prague’s Hygiene Station (HSHMP).

Highly contagious, measles can result in complications leading to pneumonia, laryngitis, and (in an estimated .1% of cases) death. Up to 10% of measles cases can result in ear infections that lead to permanent hearing loss.

During 2016-2017, there were 49 deaths attributed to measles across the EU.