22.10.2026 09:52
Dr. Nurullah Dikmen, an Infectious Diseases Specialist working in Samsun, drew attention to the increasing measles cases among children recently. Dikmen cited vaccine refusal as the reason for the increase. He said that subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), the most severe complication of measles, can lead to loss of brain function in unvaccinated children. He also emphasized that children should be vaccinated twice: at age 1 and when starting primary school.
Measles, which was once among the world’s deadliest viral outbreaks, is spreading again alongside anti-vaccination sentiment. Experts warn that the disease is not a simple rash and can leave permanent damage.
CASE NUMBERS HAVE EXCEEDED THOUSANDS Measles, which causes many deaths and permanent damage, had been brought under control thanks to vaccines. According to data from the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and experts, as of the fall of 2026, the number of cases has exceeded thousands. Specialist Dr. Nurullah Dikmen from the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Medicana International Samsun Hospital stated that in children with measles-related SSPE, the brain is rendered nonfunctional and irreversible damage occurs.
“VACCINE REFUSAL IS CAUSING PROBLEMS” Dikmen attributed the increase in cases to anti-vaccination sentiment and said:
“The rise in measles shows that there are problems with vaccination. Because in the past, we completed measles vaccinations fully. We ran very good campaigns and thought it could be eradicated, but recently anti-vaccination attitudes, especially the situations we call vaccine refusal, where citizens reject the vaccine by saying ‘We do not want to be vaccinated,’ are causing problems.”
Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Nurullah Dikmen “IT IS A HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS INFECTION” Dikmen underlined that the disease should not be seen as a simple rash. Noting that the disease can leave permanent damage, Dikmen said, “Measles is, of course, a very rapidly spreading infection right now. It is an infection that can spread to hundreds of people at the same time, can be transmitted immediately by entering and leaving a room or being near someone, and is highly contagious. Of course, people normally need to be vaccinated twice, at 1 year of age and at school age, but anti-vaccination attitudes have brought us to this situation. For now, we recommend that everyone get vaccinated, but of course there are problems with this as well,” he said.
THE MOST FEARED COMPLICATION: SSPE Dikmen also touched on the complications of measles and said:
“This measles is transmitted on its own and is an infection that can pass quickly, but of course it has complications. Its most feared complication is the condition we call subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). This is, of course, the worst of the complications that can occur when the disease is contracted and causes great suffering. It is a condition that can indicate that the brain has lost its functions and that the brain has been rendered nonfunctional. It is a very dramatic condition. I think we need to be vaccinated at least for this reason alone.”
“DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY IS SEEN IN CHILDREN” Explaining the effect of SSPE on children, Dikmen said, “SSPE is among the complications of measles. It causes encephalitis, that is, inflammation of the brain. In subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, brain tissue is badly affected and, unfortunately, children are seen to have developmental delay and physical developmental delay beyond their normal development. The brain becomes nonfunctional,” he said.
“EVEN MOMENTARILY ENTERING THE VICINITY OF SOMEONE WITH MEASLES MAY BE ENOUGH” Explaining that the virus can be transmitted even by entering and leaving the room of someone with measles, Dikmen continued:
“With vaccination, SSPE can be avoided. We need to protect ourselves from it. We have achieved great successes. The disease was once so rare as to be almost nonexistent, but now, unfortunately, thanks to anti-vaccination advocates, we can reach a bad situation. It spreads very quickly. Because what you call measles is a condition that can be transmitted even by momentarily entering the vicinity of someone with measles.”
CALL FOR TWO DOSES OF VACCINE AT 1 YEAR OF AGE AND IN PRIMARY SCHOOL Dikmen concluded his remarks with a call for vaccination: “We also need to be aware of the bad situations caused by measles. Children need to be vaccinated twice to protect against measles: at 1 year of age and when they start primary school. We need to bring our children under control with our vaccines. After that, there is not much that can be done. Measles, yes, is a rash disease that can be overcome. It passes, but if complications occur, that is where the trouble begins. If SSPE develops in a child who has had measles, unfortunately, a situation we do not expect can occur. Even for this reason alone, we need to vaccinate our children.”