Vaccine-preventable diseases never tire
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Last week was World Immunization Week, and the theme was The Big Catch Up. Since the pandemic began, global vaccination rates plummeted. When rates drop, the number of vaccine-preventable illnesses can explode.
It is important to watch for a rise in the number of measles cases as they signal the danger ahead. The measles vaccine has remained safe and effective for over 60 years. Unlike COVID and the flu, measles has not mutated to evade vaccine protection.
Measles serves as a warning because it is one of the most contagious germs we know more so than the flu and COVID. Measles remains infectious in the air or on contaminated surfaces for two hours. Entering a room where someone with measles sat less than two hours prior is all it takes to catch the disease. Measles is so contagious that nine out of 10 non-immune people will become infected if exposed. Because of the ease with which it spreads, vaccination rates of nearly 95 percent are required to prevent outbreaks.
So why have vaccination rates dropped over the past few years? We can blame the pandemic. Parents could not bring their children to the doctor for well visits, clinics were short-staffed and vaccine supply chains were disrupted. Worldwide, mass vaccination campaigns were interrupted as well.
Interestingly, early in the pandemic, the number of reported measles cases was at historic lows. Then in 2021, they began to slowly rise. Most likely, pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions impacted measles transmission similar to their effect on other respiratory viruses that spread through coughs and sneezes.
The global rise in measles infections continues, especially in regions of Africa and Asia with insufficient healthcare resources. Worldwide coverage with one dose of the vaccine was 85 percent prior to the pandemic. By 2021, it had dropped to 81 percent. That 4 percent drop translates into 25 million unvaccinated children. With the relaxation of travel restrictions, we may see measles spread around the globe like fire.
Following COVID, pediatric vaccination rates have dropped, and vaccine hesitancy in adults has risen. In the United States, there has been a 2 percent decline in the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination rate in kindergarten-aged children. Again, this drop sounds small, but it results in 250,000 unprotected children.
The world may have vaccination fatigue following the pandemic. However, vaccine-preventable diseases never tire. What can be done to defeat them? Catch up on vaccinations.
Vaccine Smarts
is written by Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences faculty members
Drs. Megan Berman
, an associate professor of internal medicine, and
Richard Rupp
, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch. For questions about vaccines, email vaccine.smarts@utmb.edu.
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Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 2:45 am