Millions of Children Miss Out on Measles Vaccination Due to the Corona Crisis

More than 100 million children can miss out on a measles vaccination because of the worldwide corona crisis. Dozens of countries have had to stop their vaccination program.

 

The UN children’s organization UNICEF, the American Red Cross and the World Health Organization (WHO), among others, raise the alarm.

They are talking about more than 117 million children in at least 37 countries. There is a good chance that the children will not receive the life-saving vaccination.

The organizations urge the countries to continue with the vaccinations but to take extra safety measures.

Governments are advised to postpone the suspension only if the risk of transmission of the coronavirus is considered unacceptably high.

Among the countries that are forced to stop measles vaccination are Congo, South Sudan, Nigeria, Brazil, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. There are currently significant outbreaks of the disease.

UNICEF and the other organizations emphasize that in 2018, more than 140,000 people, especially children and babies, died of measles.

All deaths would have been preventable because a safe and effective vaccine has been around for over fifty years.