Global Measles Outbreaks Surge as Vaccination Rates Decline

The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn of a significant increase in measles cases and deaths, predominantly among children, as vaccination rates fall worldwide.

Measles cases worldwide rose 18% last year from the year before, according to the CDC and WHO report, with deaths from measles jumping by 43% in the same time.
Measles is preventable with two doses of a safe and highly effective vaccine, but vaccination rates need to be as high as 95% to protect communities from outbreaks, a target that the U.S., which eliminated measles in 2000, has not met in several years.
Measles is a serious infection that can cause severe health complications like severe breathing issues, blindness and brain swelling, with vulnerable groups like young children and pregnant people at the highest risk of severe complications.
The number of countries battling disruptive outbreaks of measles surged to 37 last year, a 68% increase from 2021, when 22 countries were reporting large outbreaks.
Just 81% of people worldwide are now estimated to have received the first dose of a measles vaccine, down from 86% in 2019. In low-income countries, vaccination coverage has plummeted from 71% in 2019 to 66% in 2022.