SYDNEY, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Researchers have warned of a global decline in childhood measles vaccination rates since the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to a resurgence of the highly contagious disease.
Routine vaccine program disruptions and under-resourced health systems are driving the global decline, with estimated measles cases among children under five rising to 15.6 million worldwide in 2023, a 40 percent increase from 2019, according to a statement released Thursday by Australia's University of Queensland (UQ).
The study, published in Nature Medicine, examined measles cases, deaths and vaccination gaps among children under five across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023.
Associate Professor Benn Sartorius from UQ's Frazer Institute said the resurgence coincided with pandemic-related disruptions to immunization programs, health systems and funding, reversing decades of progress, with measles cases falling nearly 80 percent worldwide between 1990 and 2019.
An estimated 23.7 million infants, or one in five worldwide, missed their first measles vaccine dose in 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 50 percent of the missed doses, followed by South Asia at 20 percent, Sartorius said, adding the study's data could help authorities identify under-vaccinated populations to prevent future outbreaks. ■
