On Nov. 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that worldwide there were an estimated 10.3 million cases of measles in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022. Inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in cases.

Measles is preventable with two doses of the measles vaccine; yet more than 22 million children missed their first dose of the measles vaccine in 2023. Globally, an estimated 83% of children received their first dose of measles vaccine last year, while only 74% received the recommended second dose. The data showed that an estimated 107,500 people, mostly children younger than 5 years of age, died due to measles in 2023.

As measles cases surge and outbreaks increase, the world’s elimination goal, as laid out in Immunization Agenda 2030, is under threat. Worldwide, 82 countries had achieved or maintained measles elimination at the end of 2023. Earlier in 2024, Brazil was reverified as having eliminated measles, making the WHO Americas Region once again free of endemic measles. Coverage of 95% or greater of two doses of measles vaccine is needed in each country and community to prevent outbreaks and protect populations from one of the world’s most contagious human viruses.