Measles infections among the world's children have been rising since 2020, reversing a decades-long decline, according to a global study of measles infections, deaths and vaccine rates. The study found that nearly 16 million children under the age of five caught measles in 2023, and 118,000 of them died.
The research, published in Nature, links the resurgence to a drop in vaccination rates after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted public-health programmes and their funding. The article is titled 'Measles made a stealthy return as another virus took the spotlight,' underscoring how measles spread while attention was focused on another virus.
Sources: Nature.