The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned last week that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening the measles virus globally.
Although reported measles cases are down compared to previous years, a new report from the World Health Organization to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (WHO) says progress in eliminating measles continues to decline and the risk of infection is increasing.
More than 22 million children lost their first dose of measles vaccine, the agency said last year, the largest increase in two decades.
Increase in Covid-19 cases forces hospitals in some countries to act
Only 70% of children received their second dose of measles vaccine and 24 measles vaccination campaigns in 23 countries have been postponed due to the pandemic.
While the number of reported measles cases fell by more than 80% in 2020, measles surveillance has also deteriorated.
The CDC said 2020 sent the fewest number of samples to lab tests in more than a decade.
Large outbreaks of measles occurred in 26 countries and accounted for 84% of all reported cases in 2020.
As of November 10, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data releases a total of 47 measles cases have been reported from four US jurisdictions.
The agency warned that countries and global health partners are prioritizing finding and vaccinating children against measles to prevent future deaths and outbreaks.
Doctor. Kate O’Brien, director of the Division of Immunization, Vaccines and Biology, said in a statement. “It is critical that countries vaccinate against COVID-19 as soon as possible, but this requires new resources so that it does not come at the expense of basic vaccination programmes. Routine vaccination must be protected and promoted; otherwise we risk replacing one deadly disease with another.”
Belkin said the United States would distribute the Johnson and Johnson vaccine to conflict areas.
Although measles is one of the most contagious viruses to humans in the world, it is almost completely preventable through vaccination.
In the past 20 years, it has been estimated that the measles vaccine has prevented more than 30 million deaths worldwide.
The estimated number of measles cases in 2020 was 7.5 million worldwide.
The measles virus lives in nasal and throat mucus, and it can be transmitted from an infected person through coughing, sneezing, inhaling contaminated air, or touching infected surfaces and then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. Animals do not get or spread measles.
If one person has measles, up to 90% of people close to that person who have not been immunized will also become infected.
Before the measles vaccination program began in 1963, an estimated 3 to 4 million people in the United States contracted measles each year.
In 2000, the United States announced that he had measles and was expelled from the country due to the highly effective measles vaccine.
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However, unvaccinated travelers catch measles while in other countries and bring it to America every year. Typically, two out of three unvaccinated travelers are Americans. CDC warns of possible measles resettlement in the US
Measles symptoms usually appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus. These symptoms usually include a high temperature, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. The measles rash appears 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms.
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