Measles, a disease that was considered controlled, has reappeared strongly in recent years and has produced 110 thousand deaths in 2017, mostly children. The situation is worrying: there is a significant increase in cases worldwide, caused by vaccination coverage gaps that favored the appearance of severe and prolonged outbreaks of the disease.
According to WHO data, in 2017 about 173,000 cases of measles were officially registered, an increase of more than 30 percent, although the actual number of cases is estimated at 6.7 million. Where cases have increased the most is in Latin America and Europe, the agency announced.
Alert in Europe and Latin America
According to the report released by the WHO, cases reported since 2016 increased by more than 30 percent worldwide, mainly in America, the eastern Mediterranean region and Europe, while the only area where the incidence of measles decreased was the western Pacific.
In Europe, measles cases quadrupled in 2017, being Ukraine, Romania and Italy The most affected countries. Behind this outbreak there are several causes hidden among which would be the anti-vaccine movements, very powerful in these countries, although it is not the only reason.
In Babies and more Measles cases in 2018 beat records in EuropePrecisely in Italy, we recently knew the case of a 10-year-old unvaccinated girl who infected five other children, or the so-called case in France of another victim of the anti-vaccine, the Marine Eraville athlete who died after becoming infected when she did not She was able to receive the vaccine due to a heart transplant when she was little.
The situation in Latin America where many parents refrain from vaccinating their children for distrust and ignorance about the vaccine, which is completely safe:
"The spread of falsehoods about the vaccine in Europe, the collapse of the health system in Venezuela and the low immunization coverage in Africa combine to cause a worldwide resurgence of measles after years of progress. Existing strategies must change and it is necessary make a greater effort to increase routine immunization coverage and strengthen health systems. Otherwise we will continue to pursue one outbreak after another, "said Gavi Vaccine Alliance CEO Seth Berkley.
Decrease in vaccination coverage
Thanks to measles vaccines, more than 21 million lives have been saved since 2000, but now that achievement has been a concern.
Countries must perform urgently efforts to increase vaccine coverage and identify at-risk populations that are not immunized. Otherwise there is a risk of "losing decades" of progress in protecting children and communities against this "devastating, but totally preventable, disease."
"Looking at the 2018 figures we are seeing a rise that seems to be sustained and we are concerned that what started as a rise becomes a trend," Martin Friede (WHO)A totally preventable disease
Measles is a very contagious diseaseThat, if complicated, can cause very serious sequelae, and even death, and that however can be easily prevented by vaccination.
The measles vaccine is part of the triple viral with rubella and mumps. According to the vaccination schedule, a first dose is administered between 12 and 15 months and a second recall dose between two and four years.
The disease can be prevented with two doses of a safe and effective vaccine."More worrisome than this increase in the number of cases is that we see a sustained measles transmission in countries where they had not been infected for many years, "said Martin Friede, coordinator of the Vaccine Research Initiative (IVR)." This suggests that we are actually having a setback in certain cases. "
In Babies and more The AEP advises vaccinating measles for children under one year of age who travel with extended stays to countries affected by the outbreak
