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Major measles outbreaks are likely to occur during 2021 as an unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new academic paper.
The Lancet article called for urgent international action to prevent potentially devastating measles outbreaks in the coming years.
Lead author, Professor Kim Mulholland, of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and chair of the World Health Organization’s SAGE Working Group on Measles and Rubella Vaccines, said many children this year lost their vaccination against measles and rubella. measles, making future measles outbreaks inevitable.
Professor Mulholland said that while 2020 was a quiet year for measles, partly due to travel reductions and national COVID-19 control measures, the economic impacts would lead to many cases of childhood malnutrition.
Malnutrition worsens the severity of measles, leading to poorer outcomes and more deaths, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
“Children who die from measles are often malnourished, but acute measles drives many children who have survived malnutrition,” she said. “Malnutrition, along with measles-associated immune suppression, leads to delayed mortality, while coexisting vitamin A deficiency can also lead to measles-associated blindness.
“The next few months are likely to see an increasing number of non-immunized children who are susceptible to measles. Many live in poor and remote communities where health systems are less resilient and malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency are already on the rise. ”
Professor Mulholland said the COVID-19 pandemic also had a profound effect on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases, with vaccination campaigns suspended in early 2020 and routine immunization services severely disrupted in many countries.
WHO estimates that by the end of October 2020, delayed vaccination campaigns in 26 countries have resulted in 94 million children missing the scheduled doses of measles vaccine.
‘All of these factors create the environment for serious measles outbreaks in 2021, accompanied by the increased death rates and severe consequences of measles that were common decades ago,’ said Professor Mulholland. “This is despite the fact that we have a very affordable way to prevent this disease through measles vaccination.”
In 2019, before the pandemic began, the world experienced a dramatic return of measles, more than at any point in the past 20 years. WHO data indicates that there were 9.8 million measles cases and 207,000 deaths in 2019, 50% more than in 2016.
Most measles deaths in 2019 were in Africa, many associated with severe outbreaks in Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Measles has also resurfaced in South America, especially among indigenous communities.
“The inadequate vaccination that led to the 2019 measles outbreaks has not yet been adequately addressed and the situation is now exacerbated by service outages during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that high-risk, non-immunized children are grouped together. in unreached communities, “said Prof. Mulholland said.
The article identified three pillars for immediate action:
– Helping countries reach non-immunized children through vaccinations and rehabilitation campaigns
– Better prepare countries for anticipated outbreaks. WHO and its partners have developed a strategic response plan to assist in the prevention, preparedness and response of the measles epidemic
– Maintain measles and rubella elimination goals. The new WHO Measles and Rubella Strategic Framework 2021-2030, in line with the 2030 Immunization Agenda, provides a plan to strengthen immunization and routine surveillance.
Professor Mulholland said the solutions will help end the cycle of inadequate immunization and outbreaks of the past decade.
“Without concerted efforts now, the next few years are likely to see an increase in measles and its serious, often fatal complications,” he said.
Reference
Mulholland K et al. Action needed now to prevent a further increase in measles and measles deaths in the coming years – The Lancet Accessed November 17, 2020. DOI: https: //doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736 (20) 32394-1
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: the material may have changed in length and content. For more information contact the source cited.
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