PREVENTION

WHO Warns of ‘Perfect Storm’ for Measles Outbreaks in Post-Pandemic World

Measles cases are already up by almost 80 percent in 2022 and UN health agency says a diversion of resources during the pandemic could lead to large, lethal outbreaks.

The disruption of routine immunization programs during the COVID-19 pandemic is contributing to a “perfect storm” for measles and other preventable diseases, according to the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Measles cases spiked 80 percent in the first two months of 2022, compared with a year earlier, and the two UN agencies are bracing for more serious outbreaks of the often-lethal disease. “Measles is more than a dangerous and potentially deadly disease. It is also an early indication that there are gaps in our global immunization coverage, gaps vulnerable children cannot afford,” said Catherine Russell, the UNICEF executive director. “It is encouraging that people in many communities are beginning to feel protected enough from COVID-19 to return to more social activities. But doing so in places where children are not receiving routine vaccination creates the perfect storm for the spread of a disease like measles.”