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WHO Warns Against Measles Outbreak: 22 Million Infants Missed Their First Vaccine During Pandemic
Writer: Ratika Rana
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Others/World, 19 Nov 2021 1:13 PM GMT
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Creatives : Ratika Rana
Her primary objective is to inform, promote, educate and cultivate readers through writing.
The alarming number of infants missing their first vaccine for measles could hinder the global objective of eradicating the highly infectious disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that the world might witness a measles outbreak while containing the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 22 million infants worldwide skipped the first dose of their measles vaccine in the wake of preventive measures against the deadly COVID-19. Though the number of measles cases reported fell by more than 80 per cent since 2019, however, the joint report suggested that the number of children, especially infants, who missed their vaccine had also risen significantly.
3 Million More Children Missed Their Vaccine In 2020
In 2020, about 3 million more children missed their vaccine dosage as compared to the preceding year. The rise of such a magnitude is the largest in the last two decades and could adversely affect the global objective of eradicating the highly infectious disease. International News media Reuters quoted the U.S. CDC's immunization head, Kevin Cain, "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".
Postponed Measles Campaigns Affected 93 Million
Medical experts have regarded it as the most contagious disease so far, above Coronavirus, Ebola and flu. The condition is a grave concern, especially for babies and young children, resulting in pneumonia-type symptoms. In 2019, the number of cases reported for measles was at the highest in the last 25 years. According to the latest report, the postponement of 24 measles campaigns in 23 countries because of the pandemic left over 93 million people at risk.The Director of WHO's Department of Immunization, Dr Kate O'Brien, said that countries needed to vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID-19. However, the new resources should not come at the cost of essential immunization programs.
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