Measles and rubella have been eradicated from Malta, the World Health Organisation said in a communique.

The government said in a statement that 98 per cent of those entitled to the vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella were given the first dose last week, and 94.3 per cent had already received the second dose.

A measles vaccination drove a 75 per cent drop in measles deaths from 2000-2013 globally, and the USA was declared measles-free in 2000. But that status was lost after immunisation rates were damaged by an anti-vaccination movement driven in the past decade by now debunked studies suggesting links between vaccines and autism.

Measles is a contagious and sometimes deadly viral disease which can spread very swiftly among unvaccinated children.

There is no specific treatment and most people recover within a few weeks, but, particularly in poor and malnourished children and people with reduced immunity, measles can cause serious complications including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia.

Rubella is usually a mild illness in adults and complications rarely occur. It can however be devastating if contracted by a pregnant woman, as it may cause congenital rubella syndrome, with potentially devastating consequences for the developing foetus.

Children infected with rubella before birth are at risk of growth retardation, mental retardation, malformations of the heart and eyes, deafness, and liver, spleen, and bone marrow problems.