As measles vaccination coverage steadily declined since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, a record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021. As many as 25 million children missed their first dose and an additional 14.7 million children missed their second dose, a joint publication by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.
This decline is a significant setback in global progress toward achieving and maintaining measles elimination and leaves millions of children susceptible to infection.
Globally, there were reportedly 9 million cases and 1,28,000 fatalities from measles in 2021. There were significant and disruptive outbreaks in 22 nations. Measles is an immediate concern in every region of the world because to declines in vaccination coverage, continuous suspensions and delays in immunisation programmes caused by Covid-19, and persistent big outbreaks in 2022.
According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, "the paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against Covid-19 were developed in record time and deployed in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunisation programmes were severely disrupted and millions of children missed out on potentially life-saving vaccinations against deadly diseases like measles."
"It is imperative that immunisation programmes get back on course. Every number in this study has a child at risk of an avoidable illness behind it, he added.
The situation is critical since measles is one of the most contagious human viruses, but immunisation may almost fully prevent it. To safeguard populations and achieve and maintain measles elimination, coverage of 95% or higher of two doses of measles-containing vaccination is required. With only 81% of children receiving their first dose of the measles-containing vaccination and only 71% receiving their second, the world falls well short of that goal. Although coverage varies by country, these are the lowest global coverage rates for the first dose of the measles immunisation since 2008.
MEASLES THREAT
Measles can quickly spread to numerous communities and across international borders, making it a hazard everywhere. No WHO region has successfully eliminated the measles and maintained it. Ten nations that had previously eradicated the measles have had outbreaks and re-starting transmission since 2016.
According to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, "the record number of children under-immunized and susceptible to measles illustrates the significant harm immunisation systems have received throughout the COVID-19 pandemic." Public health officials can use outbreak response to identify communities at risk, understand the reasons behind under-vaccination, and help deliver locally tailored solutions to ensure vaccinations are available to everyone. "Measles outbreaks illustrate weaknesses in immunisation programmes," they write.
Nearly 61 million doses of the measles vaccine were delayed or skipped in 2021 as a result of COVID-19-related delays in immunisation programmes in 18 different nations. The time is now for public health officials to step up immunisation efforts and boost surveillance as delays raise the likelihood of measles outbreaks. The CDC and WHO urge all partners to work together in a coordinated manner at the international, regional, national, and local levels to discover and immunise all unprotected children, including those who were overlooked in the previous two years.
Measles outbreaks highlight flaws in vaccination campaigns and other crucial health services. Countries and international stakeholders must invest in effective surveillance systems to reduce the danger of outbreaks. Global immunisation partners are still committed to supporting investments in enhancing surveillance as a way to quickly identify outbreaks, act quickly to contain them, and immunise all children who have not yet received protection from vaccine-preventable diseases under the Immunization Agenda 2030 global immunisation strategy.
