The UK has lost its “measles eradicated” status with the World Health Organisation.
Albania, the Czech Republic and Greece are also no longer free of the highly dangerous disease.
Scientists put much of the blame down to anti-vaccine lies spread online.
At the end of 2018, 35 nations had achieved or sustained measles elimination.
The UK was added to WHO’s list in 2017.
But between January 1, 2018 and October 31, 2018, there were 913 confirmed cases in England, compared to 259 in 2017.
The rise was linked to outbreaks in Europe, where 90,000 cases were reported in the first half of 2019, more than the 84,462 in all 2018.
Prof Martin Marshall, of the Royal College of GPs, said the findings were “disheartening”.
Public Health England’s Dr Mary Ramsay warned: “People who have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine are particularly at risk.”
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