A recent report indicates that the global number of children vaccinated against measles, which had decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic, has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the number of measles cases exceeded pre-Covid levels in 2024, as reported by the World Health Organization.
The annual assessment of measles, released in the WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record for last year, does not cover the current year’s significant measles outbreaks in the United States and Canada. These outbreaks have led Canada to lose its measles-free status and put the United States’ measles-elimination status in jeopardy.
Dr. Kate O’Brien, who leads the WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals, highlighted the substantial impact of global measles vaccination efforts. These efforts have prevented nearly 59 million deaths from measles between 2000 and 2024.
In a recent press conference discussing the report, Dr. O’Brien emphasized the crucial role of the measles vaccine in saving lives and praised the coordinated global action that has led to this significant public health achievement. She described measles outbreaks as indicators of the overall status of immunization programs, stressing that even minor declines in vaccination rates can result in increased infections due to the highly contagious nature of measles.
According to the report, approximately 11 million measles cases were reported in 2024, representing an 8% increase from 2019. However, despite the rise in cases, the number of deaths decreased to an estimated 95,000, an 11% drop compared to 2019. This discrepancy in numbers is attributed to the distribution of outbreaks, with higher death rates seen in low-income countries while the number of cases is rising in middle-income countries.
In 2024, around 84% of children globally received at least one dose of the measles vaccine. However, to achieve optimal protection against measles transmission, two doses of the vaccine are recommended. The report revealed that only 76% of children received both doses in 2024.
Dr. O’Brien warned that the increasing number of measles cases globally signals growing immunization gaps for other vaccine-preventable diseases. She expressed concern over the rising outbreaks and emphasized the urgent need to address the issue of unprotected children to prevent further measles outbreaks and protect public health.
