WHO "Increases Measles by 20% Last Year due to sluggish vaccination"

Measles cases rose 20% last year as vaccinations dwindled in underdeveloped countries and conflict zones, the World Health Organization, the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the CDC said.

Last year, the number of measles infections was 10.3 million, an increase of nearly 2 million from 8.65 million last year.

With nearly half of the large-scale outbreak cases in Africa, measles deaths in Africa have risen by 37 percent.

Measles is deadly, especially for children under the age of five, but two vaccinations can prevent infection.

Natasha Croft, WHO's senior adviser on measles and rubella, said measles vaccines are currently available in all countries around the world, stressing that there is no reason for any child to die from measles.

In some countries, children's vaccination rates against measles and polio are falling as confidence in vaccines has fallen since COVID-19, Reuters reported.

According to the WHO, 22 million children were not vaccinated against measles last year.