More than 22 million infants worldwide missed measles vaccines because of the COVID-19 pandemic, global health officials from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned. Progress toward measles elimination continues to decline and the risk of outbreaks is mounting, the agencies reported.
The 22 million infants figure was 3 million more than in 2019, the largest increase in two decades, which creates dangerous conditions for outbreaks to occur, the agencies stated.
Reported measles cases fell more than 80% in 2020 from 2019, although measles surveillance also deteriorated with the lowest number of specimens sent for lab testing in over a decade. Major measles outbreaks occurred in 26 countries and accounted for 84% of all reported cases in 2020.
"Large numbers of unvaccinated children, outbreaks of measles, and disease detection and diagnostics diverted to support COVID-19 responses are factors that increase the likelihood of measles-related deaths and serious complications in children," Dr. Kevin Cain, the CDC’s global immunization director, said in a statement. "We must act now to strengthen disease surveillance systems and close immunity gaps, before travel and trade return to pre-pandemic levels, to prevent deadly measles outbreaks and mitigate the risk of other vaccine-preventable diseases."
First-dose coverage fell in 2020 and only 70% of children received their second dose of the measles vaccine, well below the WHO and CDC's goal of 95% necessary to "protect communities from the spread of the measles virus," the agencies reported.
Twenty-four measles vaccination campaigns were also postponed in 2020 in 23 countries because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving 93 million people at risk for the disease. Supplemental campaigns are needed where people have missed out on measles-containing vaccines through routine immunization programs, the agencies reported.
"While reported measles cases dropped in 2020, evidence suggests we are likely seeing the calm before the storm as the risk of outbreaks continues to grow around the world," Dr. Kate O’Brien, director of WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, said in a statement. "It’s critical that countries vaccinate as quickly as possible against COVID-19, but this requires new resources so that it does not come at the cost of essential immunization programs. Routine immunization must be protected and strengthened; otherwise, we risk trading one deadly disease for another."
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions to immunization services and changes in health-seeking behaviors in many parts of the world, the agencies stated. While the measures used to mitigate COVID-19 — masking, handwashing, distancing — also reduce the spread of the measles virus, countries and global health partners must prioritize finding and vaccinating children against measles to reduce the risk of explosive outbreaks and preventable deaths from this disease.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious human viruses but is almost entirely preventable through vaccination, the agencies said. In the last 20 years, the measles vaccine is estimated to have averted more than 30 million deaths globally. Estimated deaths from measles dropped from around 1,070,000 in 2000 to 60,700 in 2020. The estimated number of measles cases in 2020 was 7.5 million globally. Measles transmission within communities is not only a clear indicator of poor measles vaccination coverage, but also a known marker that vital health services are not reaching populations most at risk.
ABC 12 News reported that Michigan health officials are anxious about the lack of vaccinations for measles, as some hospitals are already overwhelmed. The last outbreak of measles in the state was 2019 when 46 confirmed cases were reported between March and July, per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
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November 15, 2021 at 11:05PM
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