According to the latest issue of the Morbillo & Rubella News, 529 cases of measles were reported in Italy from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
88% of the cases were from unvaccinated patients, and approximately one-third of all reported cases resulted in at least one complication.
20 regions/autonomous provinces reported cases in 2025, but more than half of the cases (342/529; 64.7%) were reported by just five regions (Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Calabria, and Sicily).
The highest incidence was observed in Calabria (46.4/million inhabitants), followed by Marche (15.5/million inhabitants), Lazio (13.3/million), the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (13.0/million), and Sicily (12.8/million). Nationally, the incidence during the period was 9.0 cases per million inhabitants.
The median age of reported cases was 31 years (range: 0–80 years). 52.4% were between the ages of 15 and 39, and a further 24.2% were 40 years or older. However, the highest incidence was observed in the 0–4 age group (41.4 cases per million). Twenty-six cases were reported in children under one year of age (incidence 69.8 cases per million).
Vaccination status is known for 502 of the 529 reported cases (94.9%), of which 440 cases (87.6%) were unvaccinated at the time of infection, 42 cases (8.4%) were vaccinated with a single dose, and 17 cases (3.4%) were vaccinated with two doses. For the remaining three vaccinated cases (0.6%), the number of doses received is unknown.
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Approximately one-third of cases (31.3%) reported at least one complication. The most frequently reported complications were pneumonia (11.7%) and hepatitis/elevated transaminases (11.5% of total cases) (Figure 3). Other reported complications include diarrhea, keratoconjunctivitis, respiratory failure, stomatitis, thrombocytopenia, croup, and otitis. Four cases of encephalitis were reported, in three adults and one preadolescent, respectively, all unvaccinated. Hospitalization for measles was reported in 56.3% of cases, and an additional 13.0% reported an emergency room visit.
According to the authors of the report, “Vaccination is the only effective tool for protection from measles and its complications. Two doses provide approximately 97% protection. To prevent the spread of the virus and outbreaks, at least 95% coverage with two doses must be achieved at all subnational levels. However, in Italy, coverage for two doses in children aged 5-6 years is 84.8% (2023 data), and no Region has achieved 95% coverage for the second dose.