Health
Measles Cases Jump 20% as Gaps in Vaccine Coverage Persist
- Vaccine coverage needs to be at least 95% to prevent outbreaks
- Almost half of large measles outbreaks occurred in Africa
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More than 10.3 million people caught measles last year, a 20% increase from a year earlier, according to a joint report by the World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With outbreaks in 57 countries, the jump reveals gaps in vaccine coverage of the preventable viral illness, with more than 22 million children missing their first dose of measles vaccine in 2023, the agencies said. Measles is highly contagious, requiring at least 95% coverage with two doses of the measles/rubella vaccine to stave off outbreaks.