Global measles cases spike 20% as vaccination rates lag, report finds

An estimated 17% of children missed their recommended first dose of the vaccine.

Prev Next

The World Health Organization noted a spike in measles cases across the globe in 2023 as the organization says millions of children are not properly vaccinated.

The WHO said 10.3 million people were infected with measles in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022. The organization said that more than 22 million children missed their first dose of measles vaccine in 2023.

People are considered fully vaccinated after two doses. The WHO estimates that 83% of children received their first dose on time, while 74% got their recommended second dose.

It takes 95% of the population to be fully vaccinated for outbreaks to be prevented, the WHO says.

RELATED STORY | Health officials alert residents about possible measles exposure in multiple states

“Measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general. “To save even more lives and stop this deadly virus from harming the most vulnerable, we must invest in immunization for every person, no matter where they live.”

In a joint report released by the WHO and Centers for Disease Control, worldwide vaccination rates stagnated in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Authors of the report expressed concern that progress is being lost toward eliminating outbreaks of what they consider a preventable disease.

““The number of measles infections are rising around the globe, endangering lives and health,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said. “The measles vaccine is our best protection against the virus, and we must continue to invest in efforts to increase access.”

RELATED STORY | 'This is completely nuts': Doctor reacts to RFK Jr.'s nomination to lead HHS

According to the CDC, vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners has decreased from 95.2% during the 2019–2020 school year to 92.7% in the 2023–2024 school year. As of last week, there have been 277 measles cases reported in the U.S. this year. Only 4% were of those infected were confirmed to have been fully vaccinated.

According to the CDC, measles causes the following symptoms:

• Pneumonia
• Brain Damage
• Blindness
• Deafness
• Diarrhea
• Premature birth or low-birthweight baby (in unvaccinated pregnant women who get measles during pregnancy)
• Measles infection leads to loss of immunity to other deadly diseases