GENEVA - The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it has observed measles outbreaks in many European countries and recommended health authorities to scale up immunization measures.

According to WHO, as of April 18, 33 European countries have reported more than 6,500 measles cases, way above normal figure.

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Of all the affected European countries, France reported 4,937 cases from January to March 2011, compared to 5,090 cases reported in all of 2010.

Spain has reported two ongoing measles outbreaks since October 2010, with the first affecting primarily Sevilla and surrounding municipalities, and the second outbreak concentrating in the province of Granada. A total of around 600 cases were detected in the two outbreaks.

In addition, the outbreaks were also reported in countries such as Germany, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russian, Switzerland, Turkey and Britain.

To prevent further spread, WHO encouraged health authorities to advocate for immunization before travel and to provide immunizations through health systems' immunization services in accordance with existing national immunization schedules.

The organization also recommended two doses of measles vaccine for all children and at least one dose prior to international travel for adolescents and adults who are unsure about their immunity status.