The UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) reported earlier this year that measles cases nearly doubled globally in the first two months of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. (1)

Covid-19 has caused issues around accessing vaccination, distribution and roll out programmes. This is on top of wider socioeconomic issues like war and poverty that began before COVID-19.

In the UK, data has revealed that the MMR vaccination has dropped to its lowest level in a decade with more than one in ten five-year-olds not up to date with their two doses of the vaccine. (2)

A recent scientific paper highlighted that one of the devastating complications of measles (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis- SSPE) was at the highest in 2021 since 2000. (3)

These are alarming figures as measles can have devastating complications including encephalitis which can result in severe disability and even death.

We aim to provide reliable information to ensure people understand how contagious measles is and how severe the complications of measles are. The good news is that it is a vaccine-preventable disease, so people can protect themselves, their families and others around them.