MEASLES

Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.

Between 2000 and 2018, vaccination resulted in a 73 percent drop in measles deaths worldwide. In 2018 about 86 percent of the world’s children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services — up from 72 percent in 2000 — but less than 70 percent of children received the recommended second dose. From 2000 to 2018, the measles vaccine prevented 23.2 million deaths, making the measles vaccine one of the best buys in public health. In 2016 there were 89,780 measles deaths globally, marking the first year measles deaths fell below 100,000 per year. That number surged back to more than 140,000 deaths in 2018, however, and half of the cases that year occurred in five countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Madagascar, Somalia and Ukraine.³⁸

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is so contagious that if one person has it, 9 out of 10 people of all ages around them will also become infected if they are not protected.