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The number of cases in 2025 was double that of 2024, but was virtually zero in 2023.
11:21, Tue, Jan 27, 2026 Updated: 11:27, Tue, Jan 27, 2026
The number of cases in 2025 was double that of 2024, but was virtually zero in 2023 (Image: Getty)
The number of measles cases in Spain has nearly doubled in 2025, new data has revealed. According to the Carlos III Health Institute, the national reference in biomedical research and public health, 397 cases of the highly contagious virus were registered last year, up from 217 in 2024 and just 11 in 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared eight years ago that Spain was free of measles – often dubbed a Victorian disease – from endemic circulation, two years after the UK. However, this status has now officially been revoked due to a rise in infections. Spain was among several countries to lose their measles elimination status, along with Austria, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. The recent increase has been blamed on its introduction from areas with high case numbers, including Africa and eastern Europe.
The WHO is now urging countries that have lost their measles-free status to boost vaccination rates (Image: Getty)
In 2024, most instances of measles (Measles morbillivirus) were imported into Spain from Morocco or Romania, which have suffered serious epidemics, and then passed on the highly contagious virus to those who were either unvaccinated or had not previously contracted measles.
The WHO is now urging countries that have lost their measles-free status to boost vaccination rates, particularly among under-protected populations. According to the Spanish Health Ministry, coverage with two doses of the MMR vaccine exceeded 93% in 2024, and, although the percentage is slightly lower than in 2023 (94%), Noemi Lopez Perea, a researcher at the National Epidemiology Centre of the Carlos III Health Institute, said the situation "is not considered worrying or alarming".
She told the El País newspaper: "What is happening in Spain is a reflection of what is happening abroad.
"Viruses do not understand borders and circulation outside our territory has increased a lot."
Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later and some get white spots in their mouths (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, paediatrician Fernando Moraga-Llop told the same paper that there are parts of the country, including popular tourist destinations like the Balearics and Canary Islands, as well as Aragon, where vaccination levels are below 90%: "In Spain we are doing well, but we have lost excellence in some vaccines. We have to be vigilant."
According to the NHS website, measles spreads easily and can cause serious problems in some people. The disease usually starts with cold-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, sneezing and a cough, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small white spots inside their cheeks or on the back of their lips.
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The huge increase in case numbers in Spain comes just as the WHO announced that the UK was among those nations which have lost their measles elimination status following its own resurgence in cases. The global health body said transmission of the highly contagious infection had been “re-established” in the UK in 2024 following a plateau in vaccination coverage and a surge in recorded cases to 3,681.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UK Health Security Agency, said: “Infections can return quickly when childhood vaccine uptake falls. Measles elimination is only possible if all eligible children receive two MMRV doses before school. Older children and adults who missed vaccination must be caught up. The NHS is making vaccination easier, including offering the second MMRV dose earlier at a new 18-month appointment to boost uptake and support elimination goals."
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