Measles cases in Italy in 2023, by region

During 2023 in Italy, 43 cases of measles were reported, more than double the number of cases reported in 2022. Campania and Lombardy were the regions reporting the highest number of cases, with 14 and nine cases, respectively. This statistic shows the number of measles cases in Italy in 2023, by region. 

Vaccine Law

Measles is an infectious viral disease that usually occurs among children. The most common symptoms associated with the disease are fever, cough, and rash. More severe complications that may derive from measles are pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death. Nowadays, it is possible to prevent measles due to the availability of a vaccine. In Italy measles vaccination became mandatory with the adoption of Decree Law No. 73 of 2017. The Italian Parliament enacted this law mainly to put an end to the decreasing trend in vaccinations against some infectious diseases, including measles. Consequently, the measles vaccination coverage increased by approximately seven percent between 2016 and 2018.

Measles outbreak

The topic of measles vaccination has become increasingly debated in Italy in the past few years. In 2023, Italy was the country in Europe with the sixth-highest number of cases registered. Nonetheless, there is still a portion of the population not recognizing the importance and safety of vaccines.