Global measles-related deaths experienced a sharp increase of over 40% last year, with a surge in cases attributed to a significant decline in vaccination rates during the pandemic, according to statements from prominent health agencies on Thursday.
The highly contagious disease prompted epidemics in 37 countries in the past year, a notable rise from 22 countries in 2021. The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed in a recent report that measles affected 9 million children, claiming the lives of 136,000 individuals, primarily in economically disadvantaged countries.
The report also highlighted a nearly 20% increase in measles cases, correlated with a substantial drop in immunization levels, hitting their lowest point in 15 years during the pandemic.
John Vertefeuille of the CDC expressed concern over the staggering surge in measles outbreaks and fatalities, emphasizing that the decline in vaccination rates in recent years made such a rise unsurprising.
The agencies underscored the significance of two doses of the measles vaccine, which provide high protection against the disease. Children in developing regions, including Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and India, face the highest risk. The WHO and CDC lamented that immunization rates in impoverished nations remain stagnant at around 66%, reflecting no recovery from the setbacks experienced during the pandemic.
Measles, known for its high infectiousness, spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, with young children under 5 being the most commonly affected. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and a distinctive rash.
Complications leading to fatalities are often associated with encephalitis, severe dehydration, serious respiratory problems, and pneumonia, with young children and adults over 30 being particularly vulnerable.
The disease has not spared wealthier countries, as evidenced by a recent surge. British health authorities issued warnings in July, highlighting an extremely high risk of outbreaks in London, with some areas reporting a mere 40% vaccination rate among children.
Immunization rates against measles in the U.K. have never fully rebounded since the dissemination of unfounded claims linking the vaccine to autism by discredited British doctor Andrew Wakefield over two decades ago. Despite no scientific evidence supporting the alleged link, Wakefield’s research resulted in a widespread abandonment of the measles shot by millions of parents globally.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
