More than 22 million infants have missed their first dose of measles vaccine in 2020, three million more than that of 2019, a new report on the disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

Only 70% of children received their second dose of the vaccine, which is well below the 95% coverage needed to protect communities from the spread of the measles virus, it added.
Even though in 2020, the reported cases of measles fell by more than 80% as compared to that of 2019, the risk of measles outbreaks is mounting, the report warned.
The lowest number of specimens sent for laboratory testing in over a decade was sent in 2020, resulting in deterioration in disease surveillance.
According to WHO and CDC, there has been the largest increase in unvaccinated children in 20 years thus creating dangerous conditions for outbreaks to occur.
This is putting lives at risk as critical gaps in surveillance against the disease are increasing, the report added.
“Large numbers of unvaccinated children, outbreaks of measles, and disease detection and diagnostics diverted to support COVID-19 responses are factors that increase the likelihood of measles-related deaths and serious complications in children,” said Kevin Cain, MD, CDC’s Global Immunisation Director.  
“We must act now to strengthen disease surveillance systems and close immunity gaps, before travel and trade return to pre-pandemic levels, to prevent¬¬ deadly measles outbreaks and mitigate the risk of other vaccine-preventable diseases,” he added.
COVID pandemic has also hampered the immunisation efforts in 2020, with “disease detection and diagnostics diverted to support COVID-19 responses are factors that increase the likelihood of measles-related deaths and serious complications in children,” Kevin Cain, MD, CDC’s Global Immunisation Director said.
There was an estimated 7.5 million cases of measles reported globally in 2020.  In the past 20 years, globally more than 30 million measles-related deaths could be averted owing to the immunisation programmes. Estimated deaths from measles dropped from around 1,070,000 in 2000 to 60,700 in 2020.