‘Staggering’ Measles Infections, Deaths Rise Amid Declining Vaccination Rates, Says CDC and WHO

Cases of measles infections and deaths worldwide rose by double digits in 2022 after vaccination rates declined amid the pandemic, with one U.S. health official characterizing the surge as “staggering.” Global measles cases rose by 18 percent in 2022 from a year ago, with deaths surging by 43 percent, according to a Nov. 17 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The report attributes this increase to millions of children missing measles vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the 9.23 million measles infections and 136,200 deaths last year were found to be largely among children. Last year, the number of nations reporting large or disruptive outbreaks of measles jumped to 37 from 22, out of which 28 countries were in Africa....