Measles vaccination coverage has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has alerted that almost 40 million children were not vaccinated against measles in 2021, of which 25 million did not receive their first dose and 14.7 million did not receive their second dose of the vaccine, which means that these minors are susceptible to contracting measles, and that there has been a setback in the challenge of eliminating this infectious disease.
It is estimated that in 2021 there were nine million cases and 128,000 deaths from measles in the world. Large outbreaks and reductions in vaccination coverage and disease surveillance, and continued interruptions and delays in immunization campaigns due to COVID-19, as well as large outbreaks that remain in place, were triggered in 22 countries. 2022, reveal that measles is an imminent threat worldwide.
In 2021, nearly 61 million doses of measles vaccine were postponed or lost due to COVID-19-associated delays in immunization campaigns in 18 countries. Delayed vaccination increases the risk of measles outbreaks, making it urgent for public health officials to speed up vaccination efforts and strengthen surveillance. WHO and CDC have called for coordinated actions involving all partners at the global, regional, national and local levels to identify and immunize all unprotected children.
During the COVID pandemic, immunization programs have been disrupted and millions of children have missed vaccinations against deadly diseases, such as measles.
“The paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against COVID-19 were developed in record time and implemented in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunization programs were severely disrupted and millions of children missed vaccinations against deadly diseases that saved their lives, such as measles,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Putting immunization programs into action is absolutely essential. Behind every statistic in this report is a child at risk of a preventable disease.”
Measles: a threat to global public health
Measles is caused by a paramyxovirus of the Morbillivirus genus, which is one of the most contagious human viruses; the good news is that infection can be prevented almost entirely by vaccination. However, this requires a coverage of 95% or more than two doses of the vaccine that contains the live, but attenuated virus, to create collective immunity that allows protecting communities and achieving and maintaining elimination of the disease.
Currently, we are far from reaching that coverage, as only 81% of children receive their first dose of measles vaccine, and only 71% of children receive their second dose, which assumes we have the coverage rates Lowest global first-dose measles vaccination since 2008, although coverage varies by country.
The presence of measles anywhere in the world constitutes a global threat because the virus can spread rapidly between communities and cross international borders, and no WHO region has achieved and sustained measles elimination. In fact, since 2016, 10 countries that had managed to eliminate this disease have once again experienced outbreaks and transmission of the pathogen has been reestablished.
“The record number of children undervaccinated and susceptible to measles shows the profound damage that immunization systems have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky. “Measles outbreaks illustrate weaknesses in immunization programs, but public health officials can use outbreak response to identify communities at risk, understand causes of under-vaccination, and help provide locally tailored solutions to ensure vaccines are available to all.”
Measles outbreaks illustrate weaknesses in immunization programs and other essential health services. To mitigate the risk of outbreaks, countries and global stakeholders need to invest in robust surveillance systems. Under the global immunization strategy of the 2030 Immunization Agenda, global immunization partners remain committed to supporting investments to strengthen surveillance as a means to detect outbreaks quickly, respond urgently, and immunize all remaining children. they are not protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.
“For three years, we have sounded the alarm about declining vaccination rates and increasing health risks for children around the world. Widening gaps in immunization coverage are allowing measles, the most contagious and vaccine-preventable deadly disease, to spread, causing illness and death. We have a brief window of opportunity to urgently make up lost ground on measles vaccination and protect every child. The time for decisive action is now” concludes Ephrem Tekle Lemango, UNICEF Chief of Immunization.
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