Measles cases are rising globally amid a "perfect storm" of circumstances that could cause more large-scale outbreaks, the World Health Organization and UNICEF warned April 27.
In the first two months of 2022, 17,338 measles cases were reported worldwide, up 79 percent from the same period a year prior.
WHO and UNICEF said pandemic-related disruptions, increasing inequalities in vaccine access and fewer resources for routine immunization programs are leaving children vulnerable to measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Humanitarian crises that are displacing millions of people are increasing the risk for outbreaks, alongside countries loosening COVID-19 restrictions.
"It is encouraging that people in many communities are beginning to feel protected enough from COVID-19 to return to more social activities," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "But doing so in places where children are not receiving routine vaccination creates the perfect storm for the spread of a disease like measles."
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