Number Of Global Measles Cases Up 50% Last Year, WHO Says, Blames Anti-Vaccine Sentiments, Conflict, Poor Immunization Access
The Guardian: Measles: WHO says cases have jumped 50%
“Anti-vaccine skepticism, conflict, and poor access fueled a 50 percent increase in measles cases last year, according to the World Health Organization. The U.N. health agency said the resurgence was happening at a global level, including in wealthy nations where vaccination coverage has historically been high. ‘Our data is showing that there is a substantial increase in measles cases. We’re seeing this in all regions,’ said Katherine O’Brien, WHO’s director of immunization and vaccines. ‘We’re having outbreaks that are protracted, that are sizable, and that are growing. This is not an isolated problem’…” (Ratcliffe, 2/15).
Additional coverage of the WHO’s data on measles is available from Agence France-Presse, Newsweek, U.N. News, VOA News, and Washington Post.
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