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Measles is still one of the most contagious, potentially fatal diseases, but measles can be prevented through vaccination programs. What you need to know. Measles has been in decline worldwide since the 1980s. The World Health Organization (WHO) says this is largely due to vaccination programs, which have saved more than 50 million lives over the past 20 years alone. In the 1980s, there were approximately 4 million cases of measles per year. By early 2020, the infection rate had dropped to a few lakhs.
But measles is not over yet. And WHO says the main reason is people – especially children – not being vaccinated: “Outbreaks occur where children are not vaccinated.” Measles is highly contagious and potentially fatal, but there is no specific treatment. Therefore prevention through vaccination is considered the best way to stop it from spreading. But, then, the COVID-19 pandemic put a dent in those efforts, and we have seen a surge in cases as a result. (Also read: Measles: What are the symptoms and how to prevent it? Learn more about vaccination ,
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writes that approximately 61 million doses of measles vaccine were postponed or missed during the first two years of the pandemic. This matches other WHO data, which said an estimated 128,000 people died due to measles in 2021, and the majority were unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated children under 5 years of age.
What is measles and who is most at risk?
Measles is a disease caused by a virus that can cause pneumonia, diarrhea, deafness, blindness, brain damage, and in the worst case, death. It is often described in combination with rubella and mumps because the diseases they cause are similar. Children may also get a vaccine that protects against all three viral infections together. Anyone can get infected with measles, but children are most at risk.
WHO says refugees are also at particularly high risk of measles. Take the Gaza Strip in the Palestinian Territory, for example: the United Nations’ International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has highlighted its concern about the spread of measles, as well as other preventable diseases such as polio.
About 19,000 children in Gaza – living among “1.9 million internally displaced people” (refugees) – have missed routine vaccinations from October 2023 due to fighting in the region.
Measles outbreak: where is it spreading now?
In a joint report published in November 2023, WHO and CDC said measles deaths had increased by 40% that year. John Vertfeuille, director of CDC’s global immunization division, called the increase “shocking, but unfortunately, not unexpected given the decline in vaccination rates seen over the past few years.”
Due to its outbreak in 2023, the epidemic spread in 37 countries, 9 million children became ill. The WHO and CDC said the disease had killed 136,00 people, most of them in poor countries. They are calling on health systems to speed up their vaccination efforts, including in wealthier regions like the US and Europe. In Europe, measles cases are set to exceed 42,000 in 2023 – a 45-fold increase from the previous year.
How do you get infected with measles?
Like many other viral infections, a common route of “transmission” is through coughs and sneezes – “droplets”. But it can also spread in poorly ventilated rooms because the virus remains active and infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours.
WHO says the virus can spread from an infected person to nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who have close contact with the infected person. People who get vaccinated remain protected from the virus. Symptoms are similar to those of the common cold – high fever, cough, runny nose – but are especially characterized by the appearance of a rash all over the body.
Prevention: Measles Vaccine
The measles vaccine can be given alone, but is often combined with the mumps, rubella and/or varicella (chickenpox) vaccines – this is the so-called “MMR” jab. WHO recommends that children be given two doses of the vaccine to ensure immunity – two shots, whether it is just the measles vaccine or the combined MMR jab.
How is measles treated in patients?
There is no cure for measles. But health experts say patients should rest, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration, especially if they experience diarrhea or vomiting, and take painkillers if necessary. Doctors may also prescribe antibiotics to treat related conditions such as pneumonia, ear and eye infections.
But since measles is a virus, antibiotics – which only fight bacterial infections – will not fight measles infections. And misuse of antibiotics is increasing antimicrobial resistance, rendering medicines useless. So, all you can do is let the virus do its thing.
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