Measles cases among children under 5 years old increased by an estimated 40% between 2020 and 2023, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. The same period saw a 12% rise in deaths within this age group. Researchers analyzed data from 204 countries and territories spanning from 1990 to 2023, examining measles incidence, mortality, and vaccine coverage. The resurgence follows significant progress made between 1990 and 2019, when cases fell 80% and deaths declined 90%. By 2023, measles cases reached an estimated 15.6 million globally, resulting in 118,000 deaths.
Vaccine coverage rates have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the first dose dropping from 83.6% in 2019 to 81.0% in 2023. Approximately one in five infants, or 23.7 million children, missed their first measles vaccination in 2023, with over half living in sub-Saharan Africa and roughly 20% in South Asia. Researchers attribute vaccination gaps partly to vaccine misinformation that emerged during the pandemic. Two-dose measles vaccination coverage is estimated to have prevented nearly 59 million deaths from 2000 to 2024, highlighting the importance of maintaining high immunization rates globally.
Source: Read the full story at CIDRAP
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