The World Health Organization, in a joint statement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said poor vaccine coverage has led to a 20 percent increase in measles cases worldwide, with 10.3 million people affected by the preventable disease in 2023. Are. “Insufficient vaccination coverage globally is driving the increase in cases,” the health agency said, against what was once a common childhood disease.

“The number of measles infections is increasing around the world, putting life and health at risk,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in the statement. “The measles vaccine is our best protection against the virus, and we must continue to invest in efforts to expand access.”

“Measles vaccines have saved more lives than any other vaccine over the past 50 years,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the statement. “To save more lives and stop this deadly virus from harming the most vulnerable, we must invest in vaccinations for every person, no matter where they live.”

What do the figures say?

More than 22 million children may not receive their first dose of the two-dose measles vaccine in 2023, according to health agencies. Globally, about 83 percent of children received their first dose of the vaccine last year, and 74 percent. Second dose.

Health officials recommend at least 95 percent vaccination coverage in communities to prevent outbreaks. An infected person can spread the highly contagious disease to up to 90 percent of the people close to them if they are not immunized.

WHO said about half of the measles outbreaks occurred in the African region. In the United States, measles vaccination rates among kindergartners have missed the federal target for four consecutive years and fall to 92.7 percent coverage in 2023, according to CDC data.

In the United States, 277 measles cases were reported in 2024, with 16 outbreaks in 31 states and Washington, DC, according to the CDC. Last year, only four outbreaks were reported in the United States.

what is measles,

Measles or rubella is a highly contagious viral disease that causes fever and rash. It spreads through the air when a person with measles talks, coughs, or sneezes. There is no medical treatment for measles and doctors say you have to let the virus take its course. The best defense against measles is to get the measles vaccine.

Since the introduction of the vaccine, measles is not as common as it was before the vaccine became available. However, declining vaccination rates in the United States have resulted in recent measles outbreaks. Vaccination rates are also not high in many parts of the world. This means you can get measles when you travel internationally. Anyone who has not been vaccinated against measles is at risk for getting it.

Measles signs and symptoms

According to experts, signs and symptoms develop about eight to 12 days after exposure to someone with measles. However, it has sometimes taken up to 21 days for symptoms to develop after exposure. The most common measles symptoms include:

• high fever
• tiredness and fatigue
• hoarse cough
• red bloodshot eyes
• runny nose
• sore throat
• white spots in your mouth
• muscle pain

A few days after these symptoms begin, you may develop a red, blotchy rash that spreads from your face to the rest of your body. The rash lasts for about seven to 10 days.

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