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Measles Outbreak in France. Updated Surveillance Data as of February 13, 2017.

From January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2016, more than 24,000 cases of measles were reported in France (including nearly 15,000 cases reported in 2011 alone). Nearly 1,500 cases developed severe pneumonia, 34 had neurological complications (31 cases of encephalitis, 1 case of myelitis, and 2 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome), and 10 died. The number of cases dropped sharply in 2012, then remained stable in 2013 and 2014 (859, 259, and 267 reported cases, respectively). In 2015, the number of cases rose again (364 cases), linked to a major outbreak in Alsace (230 cases from mid-March to mid-July). In 2016, 79 cases were reported, indicating lower circulation of the measles virus compared to previous years. Only one outbreak was reported: 13 cases in Calais between January 5 and February 11, 2016, within the refugee community. However, the circulation of the virus, although reduced, still persists in several departments, notably in Dordogne and Jura (incidence ranging from 1 to 4.99 per 100,000 inhabitants in these departments).Therefore, verifying vaccination status and ensuring that everyone aged 12 months or older and born after 1980 is up to date with two doses of the vaccine remains necessary. MMR vaccination coverage in France in 2014 (source: Drees, data from maternal and child health services – 24-month health certificate. Processed by InVS), was 90.6% and 76.8% for the first and second doses, respectively. Departmental data for the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region showed that only the departments of Jura and Territoire de Belfort still had vaccination coverage below the national threshold, at 89.1% and 87.1%, respectively, for the first dose.