Measles vaccination coverage has steadily declined since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A joint publication by the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC reported that in 2021 a record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose; 25 million children missed their first dose, and an additional 14.7 million children missed their second dose. This decline is a significant setback in global progress toward achieving and maintaining measles elimination and leaves millions of children susceptible to infection.
In 2021, there were an estimated nine million cases and 128,000 deaths from measles worldwide. Twenty-two countries experienced large and disruptive outbreaks. Declines in vaccine coverage, weakened measles surveillance, and continued interruptions and delays in immunization activities due to COVID-19, as well as persistent large outbreaks in 2022, mean that measles is an imminent threat in every region of the world.
Read the full press release at Nearly 40 Million Children are Dangerously Susceptible to Growing Measles Threat.