In the first half of 2026, 398 confirmed cases of measles were reported in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan, a fourfold increase compared to the same period in 2025. Eighty-seven percent of the cases (345) were unvaccinated, and 288 of these were children under 14 years of age. As of July 1, 2026, there were 2,721 vaccination refusals, double the number in 2025. A 36% decrease was observed in June 2026 following intensified outreach to families refusing the vaccine, resulting in 244 children being vaccinated.
Kazakhstan has experienced severe measles transmission, having the highest incidence rate in the WHO European Region in 2023.
