Measles Threat Rises in Children as Vaccinations Decline Globally, WHO Warn

(CTN News) – International health authorities said that measles vaccination rates have dropped to their lowest levels since 2008, leaving more youngsters exposed to the disease than ever before.

According to a study from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Covid-19 epidemic severely interrupted normal immunization programmes, causing millions of children to miss their measles vaccines.

The Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupted vaccination services, resulting in millions of kids missing their measles shots.

The first measles vaccination was administered to around 81% of youngsters globally in 2021, down from 86% in 2019 when the Covid epidemic started. According to the research, this leaves 25 million children susceptible to measles.

According to public health experts, 95% of youngsters must get the measles vaccine to stop epidemics. The measles vaccination has two doses, but the first dose—which is 93% effective at avoiding the disease—is the most crucial.

Over the last 20 years, steady progress has been made toward eradicating measles. According to the paper, the number of measles deaths has decreased 83% worldwide, from 761,000 in 2000 to 128,000 in 2021, due to increasing vaccination rates.

However, given that vaccination rates have been declining over the last two years, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus voiced worry that measles might make a return in separate comments on Wednesday.

Although the measles virus has been formally eradicated in the United States for more than 20 years, sometimes travellers still bring it in. If vaccination rates are too low in certain places, outbreaks may result, according to the CDC.

One of the most contagious illnesses among people is measles. It presents a major health danger for kids under the age of 5, adults over the age of 20, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.

The virus may remain in the air for up to two hours and is transferred when an infected person coughs or sneezes. According to the CDC, measles is so infectious that a person who has it will spread it to 90% of their close contacts who are unprotected.

According to the CDC, one in five unvaccinated individuals who get measles needs hospitalization.

Unvaccinated children who get measles have a 1 in 20 chance of developing pneumonia, a 3 in 1,000 chance of developing brain enlargement, and a 3 in 1,000 chance of dying from respiratory or neurological problems.

The first signs include a runny nose, cough, and a high fever that may reach more than 104 degrees. The mouth then develops white spots, and red dots spread across the body.

The effectiveness of the two-dose vaccination to prevent measles is 97%. The first dosage is given between the ages of one year and fifteen months, while the second dose is given between the ages of four and six.

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