About 40 million children are susceptible to the measles outbreak around the world. For instance, a 79 percent increase in measles cases was reported in the first two months of the current year. The number of cases is very likely to increase due to the disruption in the basic immunization of children.
Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness and is potentially lethal. Being highly contagious, it can easily be transmitted from one person to another. The virus causes a distinctive rash that begins in the eyes and slowly spreads throughout the body. The rash is accompanied with a high fever.
Complications associated with measles
Measles can be dangerous and deadly if a child is not vaccinated against it. The virus, in some cases, can cause complications such as severe diarrhea, pneumonia, blindness, and swelling of the brain. It also weakens the immune system in children. Consequently, a child would be vulnerable to other infections even after recovering from measles.
Possible reasons behind the spike in measles cases
The Covid-19 pandemic had a major contribution to the increase in measles cases. Due to the pandemic, a lot of children around the world missed or did not have access to the basic vaccinations, including measles shots.
Moreover, conflicts in countries like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Ukraine have a direct effect on the health of children as they have led to the disruption of their basic immunization. Since the virus can easily pass on from one to another, the children get them in the overcrowded areas that they live in.
Furthermore, Pakistan is among the top six countries with the largest number of children not vaccinated against measles in the previous year. It, therefore, has the highest toll of measles cases, along with Nigeria, Tanzania, India, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
Precautionary measures against measles outbreak
The basic immunization of children should be a prime focus of attention. The vaccines reduce the severity of the illness by up to 95 percent. Running awareness drives regarding the severity of this lethal illness and the importance of the basic immunization of children will help in preventing the illness to a great extent.
Moreover, the health care organizations need to ensure the availability of the measles vaccine and accelerate the process of vaccination to help control the spread of the virus in children.