Measles now ‘an imminent global threat’ due to Covid-19 pandemic, warns WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned that measles vaccinations have dropped significantly since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Vaccination dose in the past year. “There is an imminent risk of measles spreading to different parts of the world as COVID-19 leads to steadily declining vaccination coverage and weakening surveillance of the disease,” the WHO and CDC said in a joint report said.
“A record high of nearly 40 million children who could only be vaccinated in 2021,” the joint report said. The WHO has already seen a rise in large-scale devastating outbreaks since early 2022, rising to nearly 30 from the 19th to September, said Patrick O’Connor, WHO’s measles chief. added he was particularly concerned about parts of the Sahara in southern Africa, US Today reported..Millions of children are susceptible to measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases. According to official statistics, in 2021, about 9 million people worldwide were infected with measles, and 128,000 died. The WHO and CDC said the continued decline in immunizations, weakened surveillance of the disease, delays in response planning, and the ongoing outbreak in more than 20 countries due to COVID-19 “measles is an imminent threat in every region of the world.” “It is a threat to the world.”
