A new analysis published yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases found that while global measles incidence has declined over the past 30 years, the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of global efforts to prevent and control measles is places millions of children at risk.
With the onset of the pandemic, healthcare resources were diverted to address the pandemic, impeding surveillance and reporting of many other diseases, including vaccine-preventable disease. This led to delays in the detection and reporting of measles across the globe, leading to underrepresented transmission during the pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic, 10 countries have seen an increase in measles incidence. In 2021, measles caused 4.1 million cases, 48,100 deaths, and 4.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among children under 5 years old, with the majority in low-income countries.
In 2023, there were 10.34 million cases, a 20% increase compared with 2022. The disease also caused 107,500 deaths in 2023, mostly among unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children under 5, with Africa remaining the most affected region.
Overall, the study paints a picture of steady global declines in measles activity since 1990, but suggests the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, with its disruptions to childhood immunization schedules, may mark the beginning of the end of measles progress for some nations.
“As of 2023, the WHO reports that global measles vaccination rates have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. These disruptions have exposed millions of children worldwide to an elevated risk of measles infection.”
Source: Chen, Weiyang, Min Du, Jie Deng, Min Liu, and Jue Liu. "Global, regional, and national trends of measles burden and its vaccination coverage among children under five years old: an updated systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease study 2021." International Journal of Infectious Diseases (2025): 107908. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107908
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