The Health Directorate in Andalusia has reported five new cases of measles in the past week, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the year to 72 across 13 outbreak areas, including seven active outbreaks. It noted that approximately 26 percent of these cases originated from Morocco, with 17 cases involving individuals coming from the Kingdom.
The same directorate indicated that six outbreaks have been closed after successfully controlling the spread of the infection, including four in Málaga and two in Huelva, affecting 22 individuals. It warned of the seriousness of measles, describing it as “highly contagious,” and called for vaccination of vulnerable groups, particularly children under one year old and individuals aged between 15 and 70. The report revealed that 31.9 percent of cases were among minors, while 62.5 percent were among adults, emphasizing that around 35 percent of the infected required hospitalization.
Health authorities are continuing their campaign to identify unvaccinated individuals against measles, especially among those arriving from regions where the disease is prevalent, to ensure their protection and that of the local community from imported cases.
It is worth noting that the Kingdom of Morocco has been experiencing a widespread outbreak of measles since September 2023, recording over 25,000 cases and 120 deaths, with nearly 3,600 additional cases and five more deaths during the first quarter of 2025.
The spread of misleading information against vaccination following the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decline in vaccination rates and an increase in what are known as “missing vaccines” among children and adolescents.
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection had previously announced that Morocco is witnessing a continuous decline in measles cases for the fifth consecutive week, stating that it will extend the national campaign to complete vaccination and enhance collective immunity.
In a prior statement, the ministry reported that the national epidemiological surveillance system recorded a 13 percent decrease in the number of cases reported from February 24 to March 2, 2025, with 2,481 cases documented. This adds to the previous week’s reduction when 2,863 cases were reported, reflecting a decline of 14.9 percent.
