A joint report by the WHO and the CDC revealed a troubling trend. While measles vaccine coverage had steadily risen between 2000 and 2019, reaching 86 percent, the pandemic struck a severe blow to vaccination efforts. In 2020 and 2021, global vaccination rates dropped to 83 percent and 81 percent, respectively, marking the lowest figures recorded since 2008.
Although there was a slight recovery in first-dose measles vaccine coverage in 2022, reaching 83 percent, only 34 percent of 194 WHO countries achieved the recommended vaccination rate of 95 percent or higher. Alarmingly, the coverage for the essential two doses required to halt the disease was a mere 74 percent in 2022, up only marginally from 71 percent in the previous year.
The resurgence of measles, known for its highly contagious and sometimes fatal nature, is evident in the data. Estimated measles cases soared by 18 percent from 2021 to 2022, escalating from 7,802,000 to 9,232,300. Likewise, the number of countries facing sizable outbreaks surged by 68 percent, escalating from 22 to 37. Shockingly, estimated deaths due to measles rose by 43 percent, surging from 95,000 to 136,200.
John Vertefeuille, director of the CDC’s Global Immunization Division, expressed deep concern, stating, “The increase in measles outbreaks and deaths is staggering but unfortunately not unexpected, given the declining vaccination rates we’ve seen in the past few years.”
While the United States grapples with declining vaccination rates stemming from hesitancy and misinformation, the most substantial drops are observed in low-income countries. Regrettably, these nations show no signs of recovery from the pandemic-induced setbacks in vaccination. In 2022, ten countries, including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Angola, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, and Madagascar, witnessed the highest numbers of infants missing their first measles vaccine dose, collectively accounting for 55 percent of the nearly 22 million infants globally deprived of the initial measles vaccination.
Kate O’Brien, WHO Director for Immunization, Vaccine, and Biologicals, emphasized, “The lack of recovery in measles vaccine coverage in low-income countries following the pandemic is an alarm bell for action.”
In their report, the WHO and CDC issued a poignant call to action, urging concerted efforts among countries and global partners to expedite the recovery of vaccination and surveillance programs, with the ultimate goal of achieving regional measles elimination.