Overview
- WHO reports roughly 95,000 measles deaths last year, with young children most affected.
- Fifty-nine countries recorded large or disruptive outbreaks in 2024, nearly triple 2021, with sharp increases reported in the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe.
- Global coverage reached 84% for the first dose and 76% for the second, far below the 95% needed to stop transmission, with about three-quarters of under-protected children in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Countries that had eliminated measles saw setbacks: Canada lost its status, and the United States logged about 1,800 cases across 43 states with 46 outbreaks, putting its status at risk.
- The Big Catch-Up campaign has vaccinated more than 11 million children, yet WHO warns that cuts to surveillance and the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network threaten future outbreak control.