# Measles Outbreak in Children: Experience of the Children's Hospital of Rabat (2024-2025)

## TL;DR

This study examines measles cases in hospitalized children in Morocco during a 2024-2025 outbreak, highlighting the impact of vaccination status on complications.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed hospital-based analysis of measles in children during a recent outbreak in Morocco, focusing on vaccination status and complications.

## Key findings

- 587 children were hospitalized, with 61% unvaccinated and 56% experiencing complications, mostly respiratory.
- Complications were more common in unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children compared to fully vaccinated ones.
- Infants under 15 months and rural residents were overrepresented in the study population.

## Abstract

Introduction: Measles remains a highly contagious viral disease and a persistent public health challenge despite the availability of effective vaccination. Since late 2023, Morocco has experienced a resurgence of measles cases, highlighting gaps in vaccination coverage and surveillance. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and outcome characteristics of children hospitalized for measles during the 2024-2025 outbreak at the Children’s Hospital of Rabat and to compare the occurrence of complications according to vaccination status and age group.

Materials and methods: A retrospective hospital-based observational study was conducted in the Department of Pediatric Pneumo-Allergology and Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Rabat between February 1, 2024, and September 1, 2025, corresponding to the measles outbreak period. Sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, and outcome data were extracted from medical records. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages. Continuous variables were summarized using medians and interquartile ranges, given the skewed age distribution. Comparisons were performed using the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test.

Results: A total of 587 children were included, with a median age of 15 months; 67% were infants. Boys accounted for 57% of cases, and 56% of children lived in rural areas. Overall, 61% were unvaccinated, 16% were partially vaccinated, and 23% were fully vaccinated. Complications occurred in 56% of patients, predominantly respiratory (54%). Complications were more frequently observed among children who were not fully vaccinated compared to fully vaccinated children.

Conclusion: This study provides a descriptive hospital-based overview of pediatric measles cases requiring admission during the 2024-2025 outbreak. Severe complications and in-hospital mortality were frequently observed among hospitalized children, particularly among younger infants. These findings are limited to hospitalized cases and do not allow inference regarding vaccine effectiveness, outbreak dynamics, or population-level disease severity.