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According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US health authority CDC, about 207,500 people died from measles last year. The death toll has increased by 50% compared to 2016. “Those were deaths that could have been avoided,” said WHO expert Natasha Crowcroft. In total, nearly 870,000 people infected with the highly contagious virus were registered last year. Many since 1996.
Fatal complications can occur with measles, which is considered a childhood disease. Until the introduction of a vaccine in 1963, according to the WHO, about 2.6 million people worldwide died from measles every year. According to the WHO, serious outbreaks occurred in nine countries in 2019. For example in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia, Kazakhstan or Ukraine.
According to the WHO, too few children in different countries received the two vaccinations necessary for immunization on time. Experts fear even worse vaccination rates due to the corona pandemic in countries with poor health care.
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