UNICEF, "Over 100 Million Missed Measles Vaccinations Due to COVID-19"

Measles Vaccination Difficult for 117 Million Children in 37 Countries Worldwide
Disease Infected Over 10 Million and Killed More Than 140,000 in 2018

[Image source=UNICEF/www.unicef.org]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that over 117 million children worldwide may miss measles vaccinations due to the neglect of treatment and immunization for other infectious diseases amid the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). There are concerns that if measles, which is particularly vulnerable to children, spreads widely alongside COVID-19, the global burden on disease control could increase significantly.

The Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI), supported jointly by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations (UN) Foundation, stated in a press release on the 14th that due to the suspension of measles vaccination and the concentration of medical resources on COVID-19 treatment, more than 117 million children in about 37 countries worldwide have missed measles vaccinations.

As the global cumulative number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 1.9 million and deaths approach 120,000, WHO and governments around the world have recommended temporarily suspending vaccination campaigns as part of lockdown measures and 'social distancing' policies. As a result, the number of children missing measles vaccinations is increasing, and a sharp rise in measles outbreaks is expected. If the spread of COVID-19 continues and measles spreads simultaneously, the burden on each country's disease control efforts is expected to increase significantly.

According to WHO statistics, there were approximately 10 million measles cases worldwide in 2018, with about 140,000 deaths. Most of the deaths occurred among children without immunity to measles. Particularly in African countries vulnerable to measles, borders have been closed and health service support has been suspended due to COVID-19, exposing them to risks from many infectious diseases other than COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.