By comparison, Estonia recorded four measles cases for the whole of 2024.

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared Estonia a measles-free country given no local cases had been recorded from 2014 to 2016.

That situation changed just a year later.

Experts have warned of declining vaccination rates, as imported infections and low immunity levels may threaten to spark wider outbreaks.

Health officials have said that all three of this year's measles cases were brought in from outside the country.

Kärt Sõber, head of the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the Health Board (Terviseamet), explained the high transmission risk, saying: "These three confirmed cases have been imported," adding that the infected individuals had gone on to have close contact with others.

"There have been quite a few close contacts in these cases – in one instance, of up to 40 people. When in close contact, the measles virus is extremely contagious – a single measles patient can infect up to 18 unvaccinated individuals," she continued.

This makes vaccination key.

"It is crucial for close contacts to get vaccinated within 72 hours, which is provided free of charge and organized by the state. If vaccinated within 72 hours after exposure, it is possible to prevent illness," Sõber went on.

A two-dose vaccine during childhood provides lifelong immunity, but fewer children are being vaccinated each year, Sõber warned.

"As of 2023, vaccination coverage among two-year-olds is slightly over 80 percent, while the booster vaccination rate is slightly over 70 percent. Since the WHO recommendation is 95 percent, we are under this level, while the lower this figure drops, the greater the likelihood that measles will start spreading," Sõber continued.

Kristina Köhler, WHO representative for Estonia, noted in a written response to "Aktuaalne kaamera" that global measles infections have now reached their highest level since 1997.

"Last year, nearly 128,000 cases were recorded, and 43 percent of those infected were young children," Köhler stated.

Measles also claimed the lives of 38 people worldwide; nine out of ten infected individuals were unvaccinated.

Beyond the immediate risk, experts stress the need to make vaccinations more accessible, particularly for schoolchildren.

Sõber added that infections are often imported from Asian countries, though last year, cases also came from Europe, including that which brought Estonia's last measles outbreak in December last year.

In this case, an infant who had arrived from Ireland fell sick, spreading the infection to two other infants under the age of one.

"Basically, the main sources are countries that people frequently visit. Often, these involve Asian countries, but if we look at last year's statistics, there were many cases in Romania, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Belgium," Köhler said.

Given these developments, public health officials stress the urgency of improving vaccination rates to prevent further outbreaks.

Speaking to daily Eesti Päevaleht (EPL), hospital chief Doctor Arkadi Popov, who oversaw much of the Health Board's medical direction during the Covid pandemic, said that vaccination drives during that time had been overly assertive, putting the current vaccine reluctance down to this.

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