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 Reported measles cases fell by more than 80% last year compared with
2019, but a higher number of children missing their vaccine doses
leaves them vulnerable, a joint report by the WHO and the U.S. CDC
showed on Wednesday.
About 3 million more children missed the shots in 2020 than the
previous year, the largest increase in two decades, threatening
global efforts to eventually eradicate the highly infectious viral
disease.
"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," the
U.S. CDC's immunization head, Kevin Cain, said.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known, more so than
COVID-19, Ebola, tuberculosis or flu. It can be especially dangerous
for babies and young children, with pneumonia among the possible
complications.
In 2019, reported cases of measles were at their highest https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-measles-global-idUSKBN27S2TC
in almost a quarter of a century.
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 The latest report said 24
measles vaccination campaigns originally planned
for 2020 in 23 countries were postponed, leaving
more than 93 million people at risk.
"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,"
said Dr Kate O'Brien, director of the WHO's
department of immunization, vaccines and
biologicals.
"Routine immunization must be protected and
strengthened; otherwise, we risk trading one
deadly disease for another," she said.
(Reporting by Amna Karimi and Pushkala Aripaka
in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
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