Andalucía measles outbreak: second vaccine dose brought forward as cases surge in Malaga

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Health authorities update protocol for 2026 after region records 93 cases last year, with Malaga accounting for more than half of all infections

José Antonio Sau

Friday, 6 February 2026, 14:57

The Andalusian regional ministry of health has tightened measures to curb a significant rise in measles cases, which jumped to 93 in 2025.

This was a stark increase from just a single case recorded in 2020.

As part of a new 2026 vaccination calendar, health officials have moved the second dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine forward, with children now set to receive it at two years old instead of three.

Malaga has emerged as the epicentre of the regional spike, recording 52 cases in 2025. It is followed by Almeria (19), Huelva (16), Granada (4), and Seville (1).

While most cases remain mild, the virus - one of the most contagious in existence - resulted in a 28% hospitalisation rate across the region last year, prompting urgent calls for parents to ensure their children complete the two-dose schedule.

The upward trend in Andalusia has been "gradual but relentless" over the past five years, moving from zero cases in 2021 and 2022 to 28 in 2024, before nearly quadrupling last year.

Health authorities state that the majority of these infections are "imported" or linked to international travel, leading to localised outbreaks within "susceptible pockets" of unvaccinated individuals or those with incomplete immunisation records.

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28% of the cases reported in Andalucía ended in hospitalisation in 2025, hence the importance of getting the MMR vaccine

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The updated protocol recommends giving the second dose from 15 months of age to all children in the affected area who have not yet completed the MMR schedule. It also calls for vaccinating most of the susceptible population and other control measures depending on the size and risk of the outbreak.

Andalucía registered 93 cases in 2025 in 14 outbreaks

In addition, the protocol advises people to get vaccinated if they are travelling to countries with high measles epidemics such as Morocco or Romania.

The protocol update also includes measures to improve coordination and communication, including with the private sector.

Vaccination rates

MMR vaccination rates in Andalucía are high: 97.7% for the first dose and 95% for the second dose. By province, rates are as follows: 97.7% in Almeria, 96.7% in Cadiz, 97.8% in Cordoba, 96.4% in Granada, 97.3% in Huelva, 97.8% in Jaén, 96.1% in Malaga and 96.8% in Seville.

Last year, many doctors urged the population to not miss the second dose as it is essential in the fight against the spread.

Initial diagnosis

Another update in the protocol was the agreement for microbiology laboratories of hospitals in provinces where the case occurs to carry out initial diagnosis, as long as the laboratory has the capacity for measles serology and PCR testing. However, genomic analysis of all positive cases remains at the microbiology laboratory of Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada.

The new protocol urges healthcare centres to review the measles susceptibility of their staff, even in the absence of suspected cases, and to update their vaccination schedules. This ensures that staff are protected and do not transmit the virus.

Finally, the protocol updated the section on the use of polyvalent immunoglobulin for the treatment of the disease.

The MMR vaccination rate in Malaga is 96.1%, which is why doctors insist on the second dose

'Susceptible pockets' consist of groups of people who, for various reasons, are not immune to a vaccine-preventable disease such as measles. These pockets can facilitate the emergence of epidemic outbreaks, especially when conditions favour the virus's spread. In this case, the pockets include unvaccinated children, young adults without complete immunisation, people with medical contraindications or individuals whose immune response to the vaccine is insufficient.