“Measles remains one of the most contagious respiratory viruses,said Dr. Kate O’Brien, WHO’s director of immunization, vaccines and biologics.
“One person can infect up to 18 others. Many people think measles is not serious, but it is, and it can be fatal. One in five infected children ends up in hospital.”
About 11 million people were infected worldwide last year, almost 800,000 more than in the pre-pandemic period. Most deaths occurred in children under the age of five, with about 80 percent in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
“But no child has to suffer the consequences of measles,” Dr. O’Brien. “Two doses of vaccine provide 95 percent protection. The tragedy is that children are unprotected because the system is not reaching them.”
The number of outbreaks has tripled since 2021
The number of measles outbreaks continues to rise sharply. In 2024, 59 countries experienced major or disruptive outbreaks – almost three times as many as in 2021 – and a quarter of those had previously eliminated measles.
Only 84 percent of children worldwide received their first dose of measles vaccine last year, but only 76 percent received the crucial second dose, leaving as many as 30 million children underprotected. Three-quarters of them were in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, many in conflict-affected or highly mobile communities.
“Measles respects no boundaries,said Diana Chang-Blanc, head of the WHO’s Essential Program on Immunization.A country is only protected if every child, everywhere, is fully immunized.”
Why the number of cases is increasing
According to the WHO, there are three factors driving this increase:
Relapse in the pandemic eraas healthcare workers were diverted to the COVID-19 response
Large numbers of children with a zero dosenow concentrated in fragile and conflict situations
Weak routine vaccination systemseven in otherwise strong health care systems
Misinformation about vaccines and limited access
Dr. O’Brien also addressed vaccine misinformation, arguing that false claims — especially online — undermine trust, but noted that gaps in access, not hesitancy, remain the biggest barrier to ending measles.
“The biggest barrier is access, not hesitation,” she says. “Parents everywhere want the best for their children. What they need is reliable information and a healthcare system that can reach them.”
Still, she called on political, community and religious leaders to “share accurate, evidence-based information,” noting that trust is “the beginning, middle and end of successful vaccination programs.”
An opportunity to correct course
More than 11 million children have already been vaccinated through the global ‘Big Catch-Up’ campaign, which will continue until 2025.
But the WHO said countries need stronger surveillance, a faster response to outbreaks and renewed political commitment to meet the targets of the 2030 Vaccination Agenda.
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