Global Health Crisis: Vaccine Gaps Fuel Deadly Surge In Measles And Polio Cases

In Afghanistan, the measles death toll has escalated sharply in 2025, with at least one child dying every single day—a shocking threefold increase compared to the same time last year. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the humanitarian group providing vital medical support, is sounding the alarm over this disturbing trend.

The crisis isn't isolated to Afghanistan. In Europe, the measles outbreak is equally catastrophic. According to a joint analysis from WHO and UNICEF, the region reported a staggering 127,350 measles cases in 2024, more than double the number of cases from the previous year. This is the highest number since 1997, raising concerns over a public health emergency.

Across the United States, the situation is just as alarming. In 2025 alone, the US has already surpassed 1,000 measles cases, a total that has already eclipsed last year's numbers. The rapid spread of the disease raises questions about vaccine effectiveness and coverage.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the battle against polio continues to falter. Despite three national anti-polio campaigns in 2025, the country has recorded its twelfth polio case this year. The persistence of this outbreak highlights a deep and troubling gap in vaccination efforts. In Papua New Guinea too, the WHO has declared a polio outbreak, urgently calling for immediate action to halt the spread of this crippling disease.

These stark numbers reveal an undeniable truth: vaccine coverage is failing. Millions of children around the world are now at risk of preventable diseases, as the global decline in vaccine coverage continues at an alarming pace.

A latest report ‘Global, regional, and national trends in routine childhood vaccination coverage from 1980 to 2023 with forecasts to 2030: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023’ from The Lancet released recently paints a dire picture. Global vaccine coverage has plummeted, a trend worsened by the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of vaccine misinformation, and growing public hesitancy. The consequences of this decline are catastrophic—lives are at risk, and the future of global health hangs in the balance.

The global analysis, which spans data from over 1,000 sources across 204 countries, highlights that global vaccine coverage has doubled over the past four decades, leading to a significant decrease in zero-dose children, from 58.8 million in 1980 to 14.7 million in 2019. However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted immunization campaigns, reversing much of the progress made. From 2010 to 2019, measles vaccination rates fell in 100 out of 204 countries, with high-income nations like the US, UK, and France also experiencing drops in vaccine uptake.

Dr. Jonathan Mosser, senior author of the study and researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, stressed the need for "transformational improvements in equity" to reach the 2030 immunization targets set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Only 18 out of 204 countries are expected to meet the goal of halving the number of zero-dose children by 2030.

The data indicates that two-thirds of the world’s 15.7 million unvaccinated children live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, regions where healthcare access is often constrained by poverty, conflict, and political instability.

In India too the situation is not encouraging. As of 2023, India is one of the eight countries where more than half of the world’s unvaccinated children reside, as per the Lancet analysis. The report notes that 1.44 million children in India did not receive even a single dose of the Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTP) vaccine in their first year of life, a concerning statistic given the proven effectiveness of vaccines in preventing these deadly diseases.

Countries like Argentina, Finland, and Austria have reported declines in measles and whooping cough vaccination rates.

Dr. Emily Haeuser, one of the study's authors, emphasized the critical need for strategies to address public concerns and misinformation surrounding vaccines. She highlighted the importance of building trust in immunization programs, especially in high-income countries where complacency has set in.

The Lancet report has called for a renewed global effort to combat vaccine-preventable diseases and ensure that no child is left behind.