A new report has found that cases of measles are up almost 80% in 2022. Preventable illnesses are a big concern for parents everywhere, and that is because they pose a risk to their children. The health and well-being of children is the top priority of parents everywhere, and thankfully, a lot of illnesses have been drastically cut. This cut is due to vaccines among young children. The routine vaccines that children receive when they are infants go a long way to making sure that these viruses and illnesses stay in the shadow and don’t put young children at risk.
According to People, a new report is warning that measles cases are up 79% across the world in the current year, and this is directly due to delays in childhood vaccinations. This report was completed by the World Health Organization (WHO), and it can be read in full here.
The WHO, along with UNICEF, state that the pandemic has led to people delaying getting their children vaccinated, and this is causing illnesses to make a comeback, and it has led to a “perfect storm.” This also shows the pandemic has had a ripple effect that has reached almost every aspect of life.
When we look at specific cases, there have been 21 “large” outbreaks of measles this year, and while most are occurring in Africa and the East Mediterranean region, it is not to say that it could make its way to the US and other parts of the world.
When they looked at January and February of this year, there were more than 17,000 cases of measles reported. When they looked at the same time span in 2021, there were only just over 9,000 cases. This is a drastic jump in just one year’s time, and it is something to be concerned about.
The organizations state that there are now a lot of children left vulnerable to measles, but also to other preventable illnesses that are routinely vaccinated against. They also state that since most countries are lifting their COVID-19 restrictions, the risk is high of not only contracting the virus but other illnesses as well.
Measles can be deadly in small children, but the vaccines work well to make sure that they remain safe and protected. Experts are urging parents to make sure that they get caught up on their child’s vaccines to help protect them.