CIDRAP-Global measles cases in kids rose 40% from 2020 to 2023, study estimates

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Global measles cases in kids rose 40% from 2020 to 2023, study estimates

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Global measles cases in kids rose 40% from 2020 to 2023, study estimates​

Laine Bergeson

Today at 9:31 a.m.
Measles


Global measles cases among children younger than 5 years rose an estimated 40% between 2020 and 2023, according to a study published last week in Nature Medicine. Deaths among children in that age-group increased 12% during the same period.

For the study, an international team of researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023. Specifically, the researchers looked at measles incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years, and vaccine coverage among children under 5 across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023.

The findings highlight how gaps in vaccine coverage, like those that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic amid widespread misinformation about vaccines, can undermine measles control.

Measles is one of the most contagious human pathogens and a leading cause of vaccine-preventable illness and death among children who aren’t vaccinated.

1 in 5 kids missed first vaccine dose in 2023​

Global measles incidence among young children fell approximately 80% from 1990 to 2019, and mortality declined by approximately 90%. But cases rebounded sharply after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, reaching an estimated 15.6 million in 2023, including 118,000 deaths.

First-dose measles vaccine coverage across the globe increased from 67.2% in 1990 to 83.6% in 2019, then slipped to 81.0% in 2023. Second-dose measles coverage increased from 14.4% in 1990 to 68.4% in 2019 and reached 71.4% by 2023. Still, an estimated 23.7 million infants, or roughly one in five, missed their first dose in 2023. Over half of those who missed first doses lived in sub-Saharan Africa, and roughly 20% lived in South Asia.

“The greatest burden occurs in lower-resourced settings, yet recent outbreaks in the United States show measles can remerge in high-income countries where immunity gaps develop,” says lead author Benn Sartorius, PhD, in a University of Queensland news release, noting that two doses of the measles vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the disease.

Two-dose coverage was estimated to have prevented nearly 59 million deaths from 2000 to 2024, he adds.

Misinformation challenges vaccine efforts​

Sartorius points to misinformation as a challenge to vaccination efforts. “We have also seen a rise in misinformation in pockets of populations post COVID-19, and the United States has not helped with this narrative,” he says.

We have also seen a rise in misinformation in pockets of populations post COVID-19, and the United States has not helped with this narrative.

Australasia offers a counterbalance. Despite pandemic disruptions, the region maintained high vaccination coverage, with an estimated 96% of children under 5 receiving a second dose by 2023.

The researchers hope the findings will help authorities identify undervaccinated populations, organize catch-up campaigns, and strengthen routine immunization services in regions that need it most.