Measles infections in the Netherlands have surged in recent weeks, with many of the reported cases imported from Morocco. Since September 2023, Morocco has been grappling with an unprecedented measles epidemic, reporting nearly 25,000 suspected cases, including 6,300 confirmed, and 120 deaths. According to data from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 45 new measles cases have been reported in the Netherlands in the past two weeks. Among those infected, at least 17 contracted the virus while in Morocco. The rise in infections in the Netherlands is partly attributed to declining vaccination rates, with 202 reported cases in 2024 and already over half that number this year. Similar trends are being reported in France and Spain, where measles cases imported from Morocco have recently been detected. In Spain, 107 confirmed measles cases were reported in the first eight weeks of 2025, across eight active clusters in various regions. Spanish health authorities have indicated that 34% of confirmed cases in Spain this year are linked to imported infections, primarily from Morocco and Romania. In France, health authorities reported 13 cases of measles imported or linked to imports after a stay in Morocco since January 1, 2025, across several regions.
