With the anti-vaccination movement still going strong, Malta has seen a 500% increase in the number of cases of measles for the first half of the year.

According to figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were 31 measles cases in 2019 so far, the vast majority of which occurred in people over 16 (24).

Two of the cases involved babies less than two years old, while five were under the age of eight.

Measles was believed to have been eradicated in Maltas until 2018 when five new cases emerged.

The anti-vaccination movement kicked off with the now widely-discredited work of Andrew Wakefield, who claimed to have found links between the MMR (Mumps Measles and Rubella) vaccine and autism.

Wakefield eventually lost his license over his controversial and incorrect findings.

Speaking to Malta Today, Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci placed the increase as a direct correlation to when the anti-vaccination movement started.

She also rubbished any claims that the increase in foreign population was behind it, given that only seven of the 31 cases involved foreigners.

Most people are immunised against the highly contagious disease with Malta having a coverage rate of 95%.

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