Report: Measles Cases Increased 20% Worldwide in 2023

Facts

  • According to reports released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, estimated measles cases increased by 20% from 2022 to 2023 — attributed mostly to a falling rate of vaccination.[1][2]
  • Last year, estimated measles cases worldwide increased to 10.3M. More than 22M children missed their first dose of the measles vaccine in 2023, while 74% of the 83% of children who received the first then received their second dose.[2]
  • Although 107.5K measles deaths in 2023 were down 8% from the previous year, most of those deaths were children under 5 years old. The dip in deaths was mainly because of nutritional factors and health care access where outbreaks occurred.[2]
  • Fifty-seven countries experienced large and disruptive measles outbreaks in 2023, up from 36 countries in 2022. All regions except the Americas were affected, with nearly half of all large and disruptive outbreaks occurring in Africa.[3]
  • The report claims that measles has been eradicated from 82 countries in the past 50 years. However, the organizations believe the drop in immunization has been caused by misinformation about vaccinations and a dip in access to the jabs, especially since COVID.[4]

Sources: [1]CDC, [2]WHO, [3]Al Jazeera and [4]CNN.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Dallas Express and FOX News. Vaccine mandates are a form of tyranny, and citizens of free countries should never be extorted into putting something into their bodies against their free will. No vaccine is perfect and everyone should have the right to weigh the pros of getting jabbed with the potential side effects to determine whether getting vaccinated is the right move.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Washington Post. These numbers are troubling, and it's relatively easy to turn the tide back against measles and save the thousands of children who are being victimized by a preventable disease. Even children who survive measles can face long-term effects for the rest of their lives. More must be done to push against misinformation and get these children protected.

Predictions