According to the health agency, measles cases are increasing in most regions mainly due to the lack of vaccination during the years of the Covid-19 pandemic, when health systems were overwhelmed and routine vaccination against preventable diseases was delayed.

By the end of this year, a sharp increase in outbreaks of the disease is expected, amid large gaps in immunization programs, which must be filled quickly with the vaccine, or else the disease will jump the gap, WHO’s senior technical advisor on measles and rubella, Natasha Crowcroft, said.

She called for urgent action to protect children, as there is a lack of commitment on the part of governments due to other problems such as economic crises and conflicts.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that is transmitted through the air and affects mainly children under five years of age. It can be prevented with two doses of vaccine and since 2000 more than 50 million deaths have been avoided, according to WHO data.

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