Stock image of a girl receiving a vaccine.Photo:Getty
Getty
According tonew datafrom theCenters for Disease Control and Preventionand theWorld Health Organization, the measles crisis continues to be a prevalent issue.
“In 2022, measles vaccination coverage and global surveillance showed some recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic setbacks; however, coverage declined in low-income countries, and globally, years of suboptimal immunization coverage left millions of children unprotected,“the reportstated.
Stock image of MMR vaccine.Getty
“The increase in measles outbreaks and deaths is staggering, but unfortunately, not unexpected given the declining vaccination rates we’ve seen in the past few years,” John Vertefeuille, director of CDC’s Global Immunization Division, said in anews release. “Measles cases anywhere pose a risk to all countries and communities where people are under-vaccinated. Urgent, targeted efforts are critical to prevent measles disease and deaths.”
The World Health Organization’swebsitestates that being vaccinated “is the best way to prevent getting sick with measles or spreading it to other people.”
While measles are most common in children, the agency explains that the disease is highly contagious and can spread when a person who is infected with it “breathes, coughs, or sneezes.”
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source: people.com