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The United Nations warned Tuesday that around 117 million children worldwide are at risk of contracting measles because dozens of countries are cutting back on their vaccination programs as Corona struggles.
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that 24 countries, including many countries already dealing with measles outbreaks, have suspended the use of large-scale vaccines.
Vaccination programs in 13 other countries have been stopped due to COVID-19.
In a joint statement, the measles and rubella initiative (M&RIVaccination capacity needs to be maintained during and after the current epidemic and that more than 117 million children … could be affected by the suspension of planned vaccination activities. “
It’s compatible M&RI The need to protect communities and health personnel from COVID-19 Through a break for group campaigns, where the risk of disease is high.
Measles, a highly contagious disease, affects approximately 20 million people each year, most of them under the age of five, and despite the cheap and readily available vaccine, measles cases have increased in recent years, largely part because of what the World Health Organization has described as “vaccine frequency”. “
In 2018, there were 140,000 measles deaths, mostly among children and infants, and most of them were preventable, meaning that the countries in which they occurred had a vaccination program.
Of the 24 countries that have formally suspended measles vaccine programs to protect health workers and prioritize Corona’s response, many have witnessed alarming increases in measles cases in recent years.
In particular, Bangladesh, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Nigeria, Ukraine and Kazakhstan are fighting the outbreaks.
