873 cases of measles last year, seven deaths, an increase of 80%: the disease is back in France and the health authorities are considering strengthening vaccination of young people in college.
Measles, which we thought was almost forgotten, is back. Last year, 873 cases were declared in France, including 128 imported – an increase of 80% compared to 2024, according to a report published on May 18 by Public Health France. The disease has affected 71 departments. More than 300 hospitalizations were recorded. And seven deaths including four adults and three children.
To stop this trend, the health agency is proposing a new measure: adding the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine to campaigns already in place in colleges against papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococci. Currently, two MMR vaccines can be administered: Priorix® or MM-RVaxpro®. “The 2025 epidemiological report encourages strengthening MMR vaccination catch-up efforts by particularly targeting adolescents and young adults, or by taking advantage of the current vaccination campaign against papillomavirus and meningococcus in colleges” argues the authority. Medical teams are already present in the establishments, during school hours. They could carry out this vaccination.
Adolescents are particularly affected with a median age of 16 years among cases recorded in France. More than 60% of French cases were not vaccinated or were only half vaccinated. Many were born before the vaccination obligation established in 2018 and received only one dose, or even none. However, to stop the circulation of the virus, 95% of the population must be protected. A threshold that France is far from reaching.
The worst epidemic in 30 years
The situation is worrying well beyond our borders. In the United States, which had nevertheless eradicated the disease, it is the worst epidemic in thirty years: nearly 2,300 cases in 2025, and already around 2,000 since the start of 2026. Donald Trump’s Minister of Health, Robert Kennedy Jr, was singled out for having relayed the unfounded theory of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. This link has been formally denied by all world medical authorities for decades.
While waiting for an official decision on vaccination at school, a simple reflex: take out your child’s health record and check that they have received their two doses of MMR. If this is not the case, the catch-up is 100% covered by Health Insurance up to the age of 18, on medical prescription or directly in a pharmacy for those over 11 years old. A quick gesture that can avoid many complications.
