Global death rate from infectious measles jumps by 40% within year

Leading health agencies have documented a dramatic surge in global rates of measles deaths by over 40% last year, with a corresponding rise in cases attributed to a significant drop in vaccination levels during the pandemic.

As reported by WHO, the organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on November 16 that the highly contagious disease sparked epidemics in 37 countries in 2022, compared to 22 countries in 2021. The outbreak affected 9 million children and resulted in 136,000 deaths, predominantly in economically disadvantaged nations.

The agencies highlighted a nearly 20% increase in measles cases, correlating with a substantial decline in immunization levels during the pandemic. Measles, known for its high infectivity, is transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It primarily affects children under the age of 5 and manifests with symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, and a distinctive rash.

Immunization rates against measles have not fully rebounded since the dissemination of unfounded claims linking the vaccine to autism over two decades ago by discredited British doctor Andrew Wakefield. Despite no scientific validation of this link, Wakefield's research led to widespread vaccine hesitancy, causing millions of parents worldwide to abandon the measles shot.