Inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in measles, which killed over 100,000 people worldwide in 2023, mostly children under age five.
RT’s FIVE Key Takeaways:
- Global Measles Surge – Measles cases increased by 20% in 2023, with 10.3 million cases reported worldwide due to inadequate vaccination coverage.
- Vaccination Gaps – Over 22 million children missed their first measles vaccine dose in 2023. Global first-dose coverage was 83%, while only 74% received the recommended second dose—far below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.
- Rising Outbreaks – 57 countries experienced major outbreaks in 2023, nearly 60% more than the previous year. The most affected regions were Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific.
- Death Toll & Complications – 107,500 people, mostly children under five, died from measles in 2023. Survivors face risks like blindness, pneumonia, and brain swelling (encephalitis).
- Threat to Measles Elimination Goals – While 82 countries have eliminated measles, rising cases threaten global targets. Urgent efforts, particularly in Africa and conflict-affected regions, are needed to boost vaccination rates and strengthen disease surveillance.
Worldwide, there were an estimated 10.3 million cases of measles in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US CDC.
Inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in cases, according to the agencies.
Measles is preventable with two doses of the measles vaccine; yet more than 22 million children missed their first dose of the measles vaccine in 2023. Globally, an estimated 83% of children received their first dose of measles vaccine last year, while only 74% received the recommended second dose.
Coverage of 95% or greater of two doses of measles vaccine is needed in each country and community to prevent outbreaks and protect populations from one of the world’s most contagious human viruses.
“Measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “To save even more lives and stop this deadly virus from harming the most vulnerable, we must invest in immunization for every person, no matter where they live.”
“The number of measles infections are rising around the globe, endangering lives and health,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said. “The measles vaccine is our best protection against the virus, and we must continue to invest in efforts to increase access.”
As a result of global gaps in vaccination coverage, 57 countries experienced large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2023, affecting all regions except the Americas, and representing a nearly 60% increase from 36 countries in the previous year. The WHO African, Eastern Mediterranean, European, Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions experienced a substantial upsurge in cases. Nearly half of all large or disruptive outbreaks occurred in the African region.
Unacceptable Death Toll Due to Rising Measles Cases
The new data show that an estimated 107,500 people, mostly children younger than 5 years of age, died due to measles in 2023. Although this is an 8% decrease from the previous year, far too many children are still dying from this preventable disease. This slight reduction in deaths was mainly because the surge in cases occurred in countries and regions where children with measles are less likely to die, due to better nutritional status and access to health services.
Even when people survive measles, serious health effects can occur, some of which are lifelong. Infants and young children are at greatest risk of serious complications from the disease, which include blindness, pneumonia, and encephalitis (an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage).
As measles cases surge and outbreaks increase, the world’s elimination goal, as laid out in Immunization Agenda 2030, is under threat. Worldwide, 82 countries had achieved or maintained measles elimination at the end of 2023. Just this week, Brazil was reverified as having eliminated measles, making the WHO Americas Region once again free of endemic measles. With the exception of the African Region, at least 1 country in all WHO regions has eliminated the disease.
Urgent and targeted efforts by countries and partners, particularly in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions, and in fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable settings, are needed to vaccinate all children fully with two doses of measles vaccine. This requires achieving and maintaining high-performing routine immunization programs and delivering high-quality, high-coverage campaigns when those programs are not yet sufficient to protect every child.
Countries and global immunization partners must also strengthen disease surveillance, including the Global Measles Rubella Laboratory Network (GMRLN). Strong disease surveillance is critical to optimizing immunization programs and detecting and responding rapidly to measles outbreaks in order to mitigate their size and impact.
