Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Measles is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable disease with significant morbidity in the European region, including Romania, especially in the post-COVID-19 era with low vaccination rates which no longer provide herd immunity. The current study aims to show how vaccination reduces the disease burden. METHODS: A study using 29,148 cases with measles-compatible features in Romania from the 2020-2024 period was performed, analyzing symptoms, complications, and hospitalization rates comparatively between vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. RESULTS: Our findings show substantial hospitalization rates reduction among vaccinated cases with an over 12% decrease-depending on the number of MMR doses-as well as reduced severity of clinical features, but no significant effect on disease duration. CONCLUSIONS: MMR vaccination provides protection beyond primary disease prevention, as it reduces the disease burden among measles cases by reducing disease-related hospitalizations and improving clinical outcomes.