Andorra Maintains WHO Measles Elimination Status Amid Regional Rise
No measles cases detected since 2002, thanks to 96% vaccination rate and vigilant protocols, despite outbreaks in neighboring Spain.
Key Points
- No measles cases or suspicions in Andorra since 2002.
- 96% vaccination rate prevents virus reintroduction.
- Robust surveillance protocol mandates urgent reporting.
- Spain reports 397 cases in 2025, up from 227 in 2024, mostly unvaccinated.
The Andorran government confirmed on Wednesday that no measles cases or suspicions have been detected in the Principat, maintaining its World Health Organization (WHO) certification for disease elimination.
Health authorities highlighted a recent update to this WHO recognition, with the last confirmed case dating back to 2002. They attributed the ongoing status to a 96% vaccination coverage rate against measles, which officials describe as high enough to prevent virus reintroduction. The Ministry of Health also pointed to the existing surveillance and control protocol for measles and rubella, which mandates urgent reporting of any clinical suspicions by doctors. This would activate response measures, though the protocol remains inactive due to the absence of cases or alerts.
These assurances come amid rising measles activity in neighbouring areas. Spain has resumed endemic transmission, losing its WHO elimination status from 2016. Confirmed cases there rose from 227 in 2024 to 397 in 2025, mostly among unvaccinated people. In Catalonia, numbers increased from 36 confirmations in 2024 to 61 as of 21 July 2025, with active outbreaks primarily affecting those without prior vaccination.
Andorran officials emphasised sustained vigilance to protect public health given these regional pressures and the Principat's robust immunisation levels.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: