The World Health Organization (WHO) said 35 children have died of measles in Europe during 2017, and called it an ‘unacceptable tragedy’.
The number has almost tripled since 2016, when 13 children died, and in 2015 three children died of the disease.
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In a statement on Tuesday, WHO stated that a six-year-old boy from Italy was the latest child to die of the disease. In Italy, more than 3,300 cases of measles have been reported, and there have been two deaths since June last year. The highly infectious disease has also led to 31 deaths in Romania.
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WHO referred it as an ‘unacceptable tragedy’ that a disease that can be prevented by a vaccine should lead to death.
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Fear of whether the vaccine against the disease is safe has led to several thousand parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. The Italian government made twelve children receive vaccines in May, in response to what authorities believe is inaccurate information about vaccines.
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The reason many feel insecure about the triple vaccine against measles, rubella and mumps is an alleged connection between the vaccine and autism. It’s an assertion that, according to experts, is not scientifically valid.
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Measles is one of the most infectious diseases we know of. It has been virtually wiped out in Norway due to the vaccination program.
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© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today