The majority of cases detected in Catalonia last year were imported, and this scenario is expected to repeat in 2026 due to growing global incidence. Despite good vaccination coverage in Catalonia, the arrival of more foreign infections could multiply the risk of local outbreaks "by two or three," as measles is the most infectious vaccine-preventable disease.
This situation was already seen last year with a significant outbreak in Sant Pere de Ribes, in the Garraf region, originating from an anti-vaccine family. The infection cluster was closed with 15 related cases, but it required immense effort from Public Health professionals to trace contacts, estimated at 100 for every positive case.
“"The strategy cannot be to trace and contain all positive cases and their contacts, because the service will end up being saturated."
The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that Spain eliminated the disease in 2016, but the interruption of global vaccination due to Covid-19 has caused cases to soar. In Spain, 397 infections were detected in 2025 (up from 227 in 2024), with one in five cases notified from Catalonia.
This increase is part of a massive resurgence across Europe that began in 2024, with over 35,000 infections. The main European hotspots are Romania (over 80% of cases) and the United Kingdom. Close to Catalonia, Morocco reported over 44,000 suspected cases last year.
