More than 17,000 measles cases reported in the first two months of the year. An increase of about 80% compared to January-February 2021 when just over 9,500 were notified. The Unicef report is associated with the alarm launched by the World Health Organization: 23 million children have jumped vaccination appointment in 2020, almost 4 million more than the previous year.
Immunization – it should be remembered – represents the most effective tool to counter the spread of infectious diseases that can be prevented with the vaccine. Every year – as the ECDC, or the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reminds us – vaccination avoids millions of infections, hospitalizations and deaths. According to the World Health Organization, 2,600,000 people died of measles a year before the vaccine.
Covid: vaccinations stopped for almost 17 million children
by Simone Valesini
July 15, 2021
The vaccine is needed
Therefore, not vaccinating or postponing the vaccination appointment represents a real and concrete risk for the spread of preventable diseases, including measles. In contrast, achieving high vaccination coverage, equal to or greater than 95% with two doses of the vaccine, is the most effective strategy to protect children against measles.
Pandemics and wars and the spread of epidemics
Pandemics, wars, conflicts on their part can then in turn contribute to the spread of infectious diseases in the form of small outbreaks or outbreaks, to use an English language. It is no coincidence that among the countries where measles oubreaks have recently been seen there have been Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. There is even talk of 21 major measles outbreaks in the past year. Number that could even be underestimated due to possible flaws in the surveillance system.
Ukraine, WHO alarm: risk of cholera epidemic in Mariupol
18 Maggio 2022
Covid
Also in our country the Covid-19 pandemic, with the interruption or delay of vaccination administration, represented an obstacle to immunization. Many Italian families, especially during the first lockdown, have discontinued or postponed the vaccination session, leaving the children uncovered and vulnerable to vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. In detail, one in three families in the first months of the lockdown postponed their child’s vaccination sessions in the 0-2 year range. The data released by the Ministry of Health consistently indicate a decrease in national coverage towards measles of almost 3 percentage points: only 91.7% in 2020 received the first dose of the vaccine. Numbers that must make us reflect and take concrete action to protect the health of our children.
Vella: “From Covid to polio, this is how war triggers epidemics”
by Valentina Arcovio
12 Maggio 2022
