New Delhi: At 16 lakh, India has the highest number of children who have not been administered the measles vaccine in 2023 after Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organisation-United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund estimates of the national immunisation coverage, released Monday. The report said India is among 10 countries that account for 55 percent of children without measles vaccine globally, indicating that the proportion of vaccinated kids in India stands between 90-94 percent in 2023. “The countries with most ‘measles zero dose’ children are a mix of those with large birth cohorts, weak health systems, or both,” said the report.
Measles, a vaccine-preventable viral disease, affects young children the most. It has typical flu-like symptoms with characteristic rashes all over the body. In severe cases, it causes pneumonia and inflammation of the brain in young kids, which can prove fatal.
The latest figures come against the backdrop of India reporting a measles outbreak in at least five states in 2022, mainly due to a drop in vaccination coverage for vulnerable kids during the COVID-19 pandemic years, with Maharashtra reporting the highest number of cases and deaths due to measles. With this, India has recorded more ‘measles zero dose’ children in 2023 than in 2022 , when it stood at 11 lakh. ThePrint emailed the Union health ministry for its response on the new missed vaccination numbers.
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