Support NeoGAF

[CyberPanda]

Measles cases worldwide rose by 300% during the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, amid growing concerns over the impact of anti-vaccination campaigns, particularly spread through social media.

Measles, which is highly contagious, can be entirely prevented with a two-dose vaccine, but for some time the WHO has been warning about declining global vaccination rates.

“Preliminary global data shows that reported cases rose by 300% in the first three months of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018. This follows consecutive increases over the past two years,” it said in a statement.

So far this year, 170 countries have reported 112,163 measles cases to the WHO. At this time last year, 163 countries had reported 28,124 cases.

“Spikes in case numbers have also occurred in countries with high overall vaccination coverage, including the United States,” the WHO said. “The disease has spread fast among clusters of unvaccinated people.”

Unicef said 98 countries reported rising numbers of measles cases in 2018 compared with 2017, including some that had eradicated the disease. Ukraine, the Philippines and Brazil had the biggest increase in numbers.

But there is also concern over Africa, which has less vaccine coverage than other regions. WHO says its Africa region had the biggest rise in cases in the last three months compared with the same time last year – a 700% increase.

Measles cases up 300% worldwide in 2019, says WHO

Data for first three months adds to concerns over impact of anti-vaccination campaigns

www.theguardian.com

 

[Papa]

Who?

 

[CyberPanda]

Who?

World Health Organization.

 

[ResilientBanana]

Fucking Anti-Vaxxors. Medicine is the result of progress.

 

[Cunth]

When?

 

[MMaRsu]

Thx anti vaxx morons

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I don't think it's much due to anti-vaxxers. Population in half-modernized countries continues to rise sharply yet foreign aid is decreasing (if going by GDP):

​

The figure shows that, as a share of developing country GDP, multilateral aid flows peaked at 0.43 percent in 1992 and fell to 0.15 percent since then. Bilateral flows bounce around more, but the trend since the 1990s is the same: the ratio has fallen from 1.25 in 1990 percent to 0.43 percent in 2016. I won’t be encouraging my children to go into the aid industry. The next decade may be its last.​

​

Case in point (from the OP):

WHO says its Africa region had the biggest rise in cases in the last three months compared with the same time last year – a 700% increase.

Most Africans aren't going on Facebook and learning about anti-vaxx from the yoga moms like in the West. The problem is these countries are still neglecting their health services, not to mention all the instability and warmongering.

I am not denying that anti-vaxxing hasn't caused problems in the past, of course.

 

[juliotendo]

Probably has to do with rising populations in third world countries and lack of access to modern vaccines.

And also those weirdos in western society that think common vaccines will turn them into mutants or whatever. Yes there’s always a risk of complication with any vaccine, but it is usually small and better than the disease you’re protecting yourself against.

 

[Croatoan]

You should be more worried about Ebola, which has killed quiet a few people already this year.

 

[Vicetrailia]

There's measles cases popping up at Google now too. For some reason tech employees there aren't as vaccinated as one would think.

 

[iconmaster]

Who?

Literally WHO

 

[Pagusas]

You know I’m honestly surprised with all the population booms we’ve had that an epidemic has yet to happen again on the scale of the Black Plague.

I get modern medicine and hygien has helped a ton, but still very surprised we’ve went this long without one