The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has flagged an “imminent threat” posed by measles “in every region of the world” after a record high of nearly 40 million children missed at least one vaccine dose last year. A joint report released Wednesday noted that although global measles vaccinations largely improved between 2000 and 2021, the COVID pandemic proved a severe stumbling block to routine immunization programs. Data showed that nearly 25 million children missed their first dose in 2021, while an additional 14.7 million children missed their second, resulting in the lowest global coverage rate since 2008. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said: “Getting immunization programs back on track is absolutely critical. Behind every statistic in this report is a child at risk of a preventable disease.”