Health · Public Health & Disease · 2 hrs ago
Global measles cases and deaths rose as child vaccination stalled
A global study found measles cases among children under five rose 40% from 2019 to 2023, reaching 15.6 million.
Measles deaths also increased, to 18.4 per 100,000 children in 2023, up from 15.3 in 2019.
The rise followed years of progress, as vaccination coverage stalled after the Covid pandemic.
In 2023, 81% of children had received a first dose, while 71.4% had received a second; the World Health Organization says at least 95% coverage for both doses is needed to provide community protection.
The number of children who had not received a measles vaccine at the recommended age rose to 22.2 million in 2023, from 19.3 million in 2019.
Researchers say disrupted health services during the pandemic, weak access to vaccines and other health system problems contributed to the slowdown, leaving more children at risk.
Global measles cases and deaths among children under five rose between 2019 and 2023 as vaccination coverage stalled.
Cases increased from 11.1 million in 2019 to 15.6 million in 2023, a rise of 40%.
The death rate rose from 15.3 per 100,000 children in 2019 to 18.4 in 2023, a rise of 20%.
The study recorded 118,000 measles deaths among children under five from 2020 to 2023.
Researchers linked stalled vaccination coverage to health-system weaknesses, access difficulties and disruptions during the Covid pandemic.
- Who
- Children under five affected by measles worldwide, and the researchers who analyzed the trends.
- What
- Measles cases and deaths rose as childhood vaccination coverage stalled.
- When
- From 2019 to 2023, following progress in vaccination coverage through 2019.
- Where
- Worldwide, with reported increases in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and North Africa.
- Why
- Researchers cited health-system weaknesses, difficulty accessing vaccines and vaccination-service disruptions during the Covid pandemic.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Global measles incidence among children under five was 52.2 million cases, and the death rate was 148 per 100,000.
Incidence had fallen to 11.1 million cases and the death rate to 15.3 per 100,000.
Measles caused 118,000 deaths among children under five.
Cases rose to 15.6 million, while the death rate reached 18.4 per 100,000.
The study was published in Nature Medicine.
- Cases in 2023
- 15.6 million among children under five worldwide
- Change in cases
- 40% increase from 2019
- Death rate in 2023
- 18.4 per 100,000 children under five
- Deaths, 2020–2023
- 118,000 among children under five
- First-dose coverage
- 81% in 2023, down from 83.5% in 2019
- Zero-dose children
- 22.2 million in 2023, up from 19.3 million in 2019