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Measles outbreak: 170 million children under 10 unprotected as global anti-vax movement surges

  • Measles has been on the rise globally. More than 110,000 cases were reported in the first three months of 2019, according to the WHO
  • The anti-vax phenomenon has been fuelled by medically baseless claims spread on social media

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Between one and three people in every 1,000 who catch measles will die. File photo: AFP

Nearly 170 million children in the world under the age of 10, including half a million in the UK and 2.5 million in the US, are unprotected from measles in the face of growing outbreaks of the disease, Unicef is warning.

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More than 21 million children a year are not vaccinated against one of the most infectious organisms in existence, says the UN body.

Between 2010 and 2017, an estimated 169 million children missed the first of the recommended two-dose regime.

“The ground for the global measles outbreaks we are witnessing today was laid years ago,” said Henrietta Fore, Unicef executive director.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a news conference declaring a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn in response to a measles outbreak. Photo: Reuters
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a news conference declaring a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn in response to a measles outbreak. Photo: Reuters
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“The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children. If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike.”

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