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Measles is 'imminent threat' globally, WHO and CDC warn

By Andrew Jeong

24 Nov 2022 · 2 min read

Editor's Note

Over the past two decades, the number of measles cases worldwide has been in decline. The Washington Post explains why the disease poses such a serious threat.

Measles, the preventable but highly infectious disease, could be on the verge of a comeback after a lull in the immediate months following the emergence of the coronavirus, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

Calling measles an "imminent threat in every region of the world," the two public health bodies said in a report that almost 40 million children missed their vaccine doses last year. They said 25 million children did not receive their first dose, while an additional 14.7 million children missed their second shot, marking a record high in missed vaccinations.

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