An estimated 10.3 million cases of measles had been reported globally in 2023, a 20 per cent increase from 2022, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inadequate immunisation coverage globally is driving the surge, they said.
Measles is preventable with two doses of measles vaccine; yet more than 22 million children missed their first dose in 2023. Coverage of 95 per cent or greater for two doses of the measles vaccine is needed in each country and community to prevent outbreaks of one of the world’s most contagious human viruses.
As a result of global gaps in vaccination coverage, 57 countries experienced large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2023, affecting all regions except the Americas, and representing a nearly 60 per cent increase from 36 countries in the previous year.