Netherlands - Measles 2025

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Current measles figure

Modification date 19-03-2025 | 14:25

Since 1976, vaccination against measles has been offered through the National Vaccination Program. Since then, the number of people who get measles has been low. However, we do see a larger outbreak in the Netherlands every 10-15 years. This is because there are groups that do not get vaccinated. The last large outbreak in the Netherlands was in 2013-2014. In Europe, the number of people who get infected with the measles virus has been increasing since last year.

Update March 19, 2025

In 2025, 108 patients with measles have been reported to various  GGDs so far(Municipal Health Service)-regions. It often concerns people who contracted measles abroad and their (usually unvaccinated) contacts. Since the previous update (5 March 2025), 45 new reports of measles have been received by the RIVM. There is no national outbreak. It is noticeable that there are multiple clusters in primary schools.

Clusters in primary schools

There are clusters at 4 primary schools. These primary schools are located in the GGD regions of Amsterdam, Brabant-Zuidoost, Haaglanden and Rotterdam-Rijnmond. The GGDs involved are conducting source and contact research

Vaccinate against measles

Do you want to protect your child against measles? Then have your child vaccinated according to the National Vaccination Program(external link)If your child has missed these appointments, please contact your GGD or Center for Youth and Family to have your child vaccinated.

Vaccinate children earlier for travel to areas with high measles prevalence

Children in the Netherlands receive the first vaccination against measles (the MMR(mumps, measles, rubella)-vaccination) at 14 months. In special situations it is possible to get the MMR vaccination earlier, for example because of a trip to a country where there is a lot of measles. In the  MMR country list(external link)of the national vaccination program states for which countries children can be vaccinated earlier. Do you want to know if this is wise for your child? Discuss your trip with your child health clinic, Center for Youth and Family or travel advice bureau.

People contract measles in Morocco and Romania

It is also important for adults to be vaccinated if they travel to a country where measles is common. With vaccination, people protect themselves and reduce the risk of bringing the disease to the Netherlands and spreading it in their environment. Adults who have not yet been vaccinated and were born after 1965 can contact the travel advice bureau for advice.

In 2025, 17 patients have been reported in the Netherlands who contracted measles in Morocco and 3 people who contracted measles in Romania. There are major measles epidemics in those countries. In Morocco, tens of thousands of people have been reported with measles and more than 100 people have died. There are also measles outbreaks in several other countries.

https://www.rivm.nl/mazelen/actueel



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[Shiloh]

Netherlands: 2025 Measles

Source: https://nltimes.nl/2025/03/20/measl...hool-16-children-test-positive-4-hospitalized


Thursday, 20 March 2025 - 16:10
Measles outbreak at Amsterdam school: 16 children test positive, 4 hospitalized

A measles outbreak at an elementary school in Nieuw-West has infected 16 children, with four requiring hospitalization, the GGD Amsterdam confirmed Thursday. All four hospitalized children have since been discharged, according to AT5.

The outbreak, first reported Wednesday, reportedly originated from a child who contracted the virus abroad. Though that child does not attend the affected school, they infected siblings who do, leading to rapid spread within the school community.

GGD-physician Charlie van der Weijden noted that an additional case has been confirmed, bringing Amsterdam’s total to 16. Nationally, nearly 110 measles cases have been recorded. The RIVM has not declared an outbreak or epidemic, but has acknowledged four clusters at primary schools in Rotterdam, The Hague and EIndhoven, in addition to the Amsterdam school.​..

 

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Major measles outbreak: 32 children sent home and school closed for a week

Rijnmond Editorial Team
March 26, 16:07 • 3 minutes reading time

At a primary school in Rotterdam, 32 children have been infected with measles. These are pupils from IBS Risala on Hollandsestraat in the Feijenoord district. Due to the outbreak, no lessons will be given for a week and the school will keep its doors closed.

Earlier this month, the GGD warned that multiple cases of measles had been discovered in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region and that source and contact research was being conducted. It also became clear at the time that there was an outbreak at a school in Rotterdam, although the name of the school was not mentioned at that time.

Highly contagious

Parents of students at IBS Risala received a letter shortly afterwards, announcing measures to prevent further spread of the virus after one student was diagnosed with measles.

“Measles is a highly contagious disease, up to eight times more contagious than influenza,” primary school principal Rahma Iqachoura wrote to parents.

The GGD also intervened immediately and called on parents in a letter to vaccinate their children. An explanation was also provided.

Measles causes a cold, high fever and spots on the body. Sometimes you can become seriously ill from measles. You get the disease from someone who is infected with the virus. Stay away from babies, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems. Measles is an extremely contagious disease, but not for people who have been vaccinated or have had the disease before.

The school then took hygiene measures and kept track of the complaints. However, the school management saw a sharp increase in the number of cases of illness. This led to a temporary closure on Monday until at least Tuesday, April 1. "We have decided to temporarily close the school to prevent further spread of the virus. In the course of the week, we will see whether reopening is responsible."

Homeschooling

Until then, parents must find a solution themselves when it comes to education and care for their children. IBS Risala reports that emergency care is currently not possible at the school.
However, a digital teaching package is made available and there is a few hours of distance learning per day for older students, as in the corona period.

"We realize that this situation is uncomfortable and may pose challenges at home. However, we count on your understanding," Iqachoura wrote in a second letter to parents. "The health of our students, their families and our staff is our top priority."

Many infections nationwide

In one week, 50 new cases of measles have been reported, spread across the country. The infectious disease is now circulating in five schools. These are mainly primary schools with a pupil population with a low vaccination rate, such as schools with many Muslim pupils and Free Schools.

The figures are kept by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). They call on parents to be alert to signs of infections in their children. Children who get spots on their skin are better off staying home.

This year, the RIVM has now reported 158 cases of measles. With the new cases from last week, the number of registered cases has almost doubled.
Abroad

At least 24 patients have contracted measles in Morocco, where there is currently a major measles epidemic, according to the RIVM. People have also been infected in Romania (3), Belgium (1) and Vietnam (1). The RIVM says that measles is also more common in other European countries.

There is no national outbreak yet, the institute emphasizes. However, a spokesperson speaks of various clusters in different regions.​

https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/1987...ren-naar-huis-en-school-blijft-een-week-dicht
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Hespress French – News from Morocco
World

Amsterdam: Measles cases imported from Morocco cause concern before the holidays

Yasmine Saih
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - 9:26 PM

Measles cases imported from Morocco continue to cause concern in the Netherlands, particularly in Amsterdam, where the city's health authorities have decided to launch an awareness campaign targeting families heading to Morocco for their spring break.

The number of measles cases among children in schools has increased in recent weeks, particularly in the Nieuw-West district of Amsterdam. Local press reports indicate that it is not just one school that is experiencing a surge in cases, but several establishments experiencing the same situation.

The city's health authorities have therefore decided to launch a campaign targeting families planning to spend their May holidays in Morocco, De Telegraaf reveals, "because there is a major measles epidemic there," according to Alexander Scholtes, the head of Public Health and Prevention for the city of Amsterdam, quoted by the same media.

It thus emerges from the information provided by the local authorities that the first infections recorded in primary school occurred after an older brother or sister contracted measles abroad, not only in Morocco but also in Romania, leading to contagion of other brothers and sisters, particularly because most of them are not vaccinated.

To this end, the authorities advise parents to vaccinate their children as soon as possible, noting that the number of measles infections in the Nieuw-West district alone rose from 20 cases to 32 last week, including four children who were hospitalized.

Alexander Scholtes also points out that measles cases are no longer limited to a single school, and that children who contracted the virus were not vaccinated.

"With the city's current vaccination rate, it wasn't a question of if a measles outbreak would occur, but when. That time has now arrived ," the city's health official said, urging parents to vaccinate their children before traveling abroad.

Other cities have been affected by measles cases among children on holiday. Rotterdam, for example, reported an outbreak of the virus in a primary school with Islamic classes.

The outbreak began after a single case, involving a child returning from vacation in Morocco, and five children tested positive this week, prompting the closure of the facility to prevent further spread of the virus and the implementation of a vaccination campaign.

So far, Amsterdam city authorities have not implemented such measures, although this should be beneficial for families in order to prevent future waves of measles outbreaks.

https://fr.hespress.com/418116-amst...s-du-maroc-inquietent-avant-les-vacances.html

 

[Shiloh]

Source: https://nltimes.nl/2025/04/23/number-measles-cases-drop-clusters-now-dying


Wednesday, 23 April 2025 - 17:50
Number of measles cases drop again; most clusters now dying out

A total of 25 new measles cases were registered last week, which is another drop compared to the week before. The clusters in the schools in Amsterdam, Almere, The Hague, and Helmond are starting to die out, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported. Only a primary school in Rotterdam is reporting new cases.

The RIVM reported last week that a cluster had occurred in a child day care in the Hollands Midden GGD region, which areas like Leiden and Gouda fall under. Several new cases have been reported there.

There have now been 310 confirmed cases of measles since the start of the year. That is the highest number of cases since there was an outbreak in 2013. Most of the patients are not vaccinated and have not had measles before.​..

 

[Shiloh]

Source: https://nltimes.nl/2025/04/30/numbe...new-cluster-detected-amsterdam-primary-school

Wednesday, 30 April 2025 - 18:40
Number of measles cases rise; New cluster detected at Amsterdam primary school

The number of measles cases has risen again. A total of 37 cases were registered in the last week. This is higher than the previous two weeks when there were 25 new cases and 34 in the week before that.

According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), a new cluster has been detected. A second primary school in Amsterdam has seen several infections that are connected with each other.

Several new infections were also found at a child daycare in the GGD region Hollands Midden, which includes Leiden and Gouda. The clusters at the primary schools in The Hague and Rotterdam seem to have died down.

The string of infections at the primary schools in Rotterdam, Almere, and another primary school in Amsterdam are dying out, the RIVM reported.

The total number of infections is now at 347 since the start of the year. This is almost the same amount as the last 10 years combined. The last time that there were this many measles cases was during a national outbreak in 2013. Most of the people infected with measles were not vaccinated and had not had measles before.​..

 

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Current figures on measles in the Netherlands

Modification date 06/04/2025 - 15:47 In the Netherlands, a vaccination against measles has been offered through the National Immunisation Programme since 1976. Since then, the number of cases of measles has been low. A larger outbreak occurs in the Netherlands about once every 10–15 years. This is because there are groups who decline vaccination. The most recent major outbreak of measles in the Netherlands was in 2013-2014. Since last year, the number of people in Europe infected with the measles virus has been rising.

Update 4 June 2025

Since the previous update (28 May 2025), RIVM has received 8 new reports of measles. The number of new measles cases reported to RIVM every week is slowly decreasing. There is no national outbreak at this time. In total, 437 cases of measles have been reported by Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) in various regions of the Netherlands so far in 2025. It often involves people who contracted measles in another country, and their unprotected contacts. RIVM will be posting the next update on measles on 18 June 2025.

Mainly isolated reports and small clusters

Since the previous update (28 May 2025), RIVM has received 8 new reports of measles. The number of new measles cases reported to RIVM every week is slowly decreasing. There is no national outbreak at this time. In total, 437 cases of measles have been reported by Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) in various regions of the Netherlands so far in 2025. It often involves people who contracted measles in another country, and their unprotected contacts. RIVM will be posting the next update on measles on 18 June 2025. People contract measles in other countries


In 2025, there have been 50 reported measles patients in the Netherlands who contracted the disease abroad:

• 35 in Morocco
• 4 in Greece
• 3 in Romania
• 2 in Vietnam
• 2 in Turkey
• 1 in Belgium
• 1 in Iran
• 1 in Uganda
• 1 in Bosnia-Herzegovina

No national outbreak

The smaller groups of people (clusters) who have contracted measles are not connected to each other. That is why it is not considered a national outbreak. The clusters are emerging at various locations across the country and are caused by new introductions of the virus to the Netherlands.

This has also been confirmed by examination of the virus, including genetic testing. People in the same cluster have almost exactly the same strain of the measles virus. Looking at the different clusters in the Netherlands, it is clear that each cluster involves a distinct strain of the measles virus. This means that the clusters are not connected, and the virus is entering the Netherlands repeatedly.​
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https://www.rivm.nl/en/measles/current-figures-on-measles-in-the-netherlands

 

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One adult in the Netherlands has died from measles

Publication date 06/12/2025 - 17:50

It was reported today that an adult in the Netherlands has died from measles this week. The deceased patient had a severe immune disorder, leading to insufficient protection against this infectious disease.

The patient was admitted to hospital with measles 2 weeks ago. Even after the Municipal Health Services (GGDs) conducted source tracing, where the person contracted measles is still unknown.

Measles can be dangerous for people with impaired immunity

Some people have impaired immunity, for example if they have a congenital immune disorder or are receiving a medical treatment that significantly suppresses the immune system. A previous vaccination may be much less effective in these immunocompromised people. As a result, they may become seriously ill if they are exposed to the measles virus. “This tragic incident underlines the importance of high vaccination coverage,” stated the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). “High coverage means that the virus does not have a chance to infect people. It also shows that measles is not exclusively a childhood illness; it can also have serious consequences for vulnerable adults.”

Importance of vaccinations

Since the MMR vaccine was introduced, there has been a sharp decline in patients with measles in the Netherlands. Vaccination coverage has shown a clear downward trend over the past 10 years, making it easier for the disease to spread again. The virus has mainly been spreading among people who are not vaccinated and have not had measles before. High vaccination coverage is important to protect everyone in the Netherlands, including vulnerable groups who cannot be vaccinated themselves – such as people with severely impaired immunity or young babies.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles often starts with fever, tiredness, a runny nose and a dry cough. These first symptoms may also include red, inflamed eyes and white spots on the inside of the cheeks. Several days later, the patient develops a red spotty rash that usually starts on the face and then spreads to the torso and the rest of the body. Most people recover on their own, but measles can also lead to serious illness, such as pneumonia or encephalitis, which can sometimes become life-threatening.

What to do if you have measles?

If you have symptoms of measles, RIVM advises calling the GP – and not visiting the GP practice. Your doctor may recommend laboratory testing. Measles is highly contagious, so it is vitally important to prevent the disease from spreading.

https://www.rivm.nl/en/news/one-adult-in-netherlands-has-died-from-measles