An estimated 140,000 people died from measles in 2018, a 55 percent increase from an all-time low of 90,000 deaths reported in 2016, according to a new report from the CDC and WHO.
Measles surveillance data from all 194 WHO countries in 2018 was summarized in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Dec. 6. Nearly 10 million measles cases occurred worldwide in 2018, the report found.
There was an increase in both measles cases and deaths in 2018, Kate O'Brien, MD, a WHO immunization expert, said in a video statement cited by NPR. "In other words, we're backsliding," she said.
"The reason we're having increases in cases and deaths of measles has to do fundamentally with people not getting vaccinated," Dr. O'Brien said, adding that some poor health systems are unable to vaccinate children who need it.
Health officials say 95 percent of the population needs to be immunized to stop the outbreaks. Measles cases and outbreaks mostly occur among unvaccinated persons, and the majority of measles deaths are among children younger than 5.
From 2000 to 2018, annual measles cases decreased 66 percent, and measles mortality rates decreased by an estimated 73 percent. However, measles incidence rose in five regions during 2016-18, MCV1 coverage has stagnated for almost 10 years, and only 69 percent of people have received MCV2.