According to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is now a serious risk of measles spreading to many parts of the world as a result of the Covid pandemic’s impact on vaccination rates and disease surveillance.
One of the most contagious human viruses is measles, which can almost fully be avoided by immunization. However, to stop outbreaks among communities, there must be 95% vaccination coverage.
Due to obstacles brought on by the Covid pandemic, a record high of over 40 million children failed to receive a measles vaccination dose in 2021, according to a report from the WHO and the CDC.
The moment to act is now, according to Dr Patrick O’Connor, the WHO’s director on measles, even though cases have not yet increased significantly compared to other years.
He stated on Tuesday that “we are at a crossroads.” “Trying to alleviate this is going to be very difficult over the next 12 to 24 months.”
The lack of an outbreak of cases despite expanding immunity gaps may be due to a combination of factors, including lingering social exclusion policies and the cyclical nature of the disease, according to O’Connor. However, given the highly contagious nature of the illness, this could change quickly.
He added that he was particularly concerned about areas of sub-Saharan Africa and that the United Nations health agency had already noticed an increase in big disruptive outbreaks since the beginning of the year, growing from 19 to roughly 30 by September.
According to the NBC News station WCMH, the public health agency in Columbus, Ohio, last week declared a measles outbreak with 24 active cases. These incidents all involved unvaccinated youngsters.
A fever is frequently present at the beginning of a measles episode, but the illness is normally distinguished by a rash that spreads from the face and neck within a few days. According to the WHO, the virus can spread up to four days before and after the rash emerges and can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. There isn’t a particular antiviral for measles.
According to the latest projection, measles will be blamed for around 128,000 deaths worldwide in 2021.
