WHO declares Measles a global threat

There is now an imminent threat of measles spreading in various regions globally, as COVID-19 led to a steady decline in vaccination coverage and weakened surveillance of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US public health agency said on Wednesday.

Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses and is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. However, it requires 95 per cent vaccine coverage to prevent outbreaks among populations. A record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021 due to hurdles created by the COVID pandemic, the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a joint report. 

Millions of children were now susceptible to measles, among the world`s most contagious diseases. In 2021, officials said there were about nine million measles infections and 128,000 deaths worldwide.The WHO and CDC said continued drops in vaccination, weak disease surveillance and delayed response plans due to COVID-19, and ongoing outbreaks in more than 20 countries, mean that "measles is an imminent threat in every region of the world.’’ Meanwhile, Mumbai has recorded 13 new cases of measles and one death related to the disease, taking the infection tally this year so far to 233 and the fatality toll to 12, according to the city civic body.As many as 30 new measles patients were admitted to civic or state-run hospitals in the city on Wednesday.