Quartz: More than 20 million kids miss out on the first dose of the measles vaccine every year
“Amid news of serious measles outbreaks in several countries around the world, the United Nations Children Investment Fund (UNICEF) released a report [last] week showing that 21.1 million children miss out on the first dose of the measles vaccine every year, creating a ‘pathway’ to the global outbreak. … According to UNICEF, only 85% of kids globally received a first dose of the vaccine in 2017, and only 67% received the second dose. That is far below the 93-95% threshold the World Health Organization says is required for herd immunity … In a press release, UNICEF blamed this on ‘lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or skepticism about vaccines’…” (Timsit, 4/25).

Additional coverage of the report is available from Al Jazeera, CNN, and New York Times.