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Review
. 2024 Aug 29;17(34):1432-1448.
doi: 10.56786/PHWR.2024.17.34.2. Epub 2024 Jul 18.

[Global Measles Outbreaks]

[Article in Korean]
Ju-Young Sim  1 , Jae-Hwa Chung  1 , Ji-Young Oh  1 , Jee-Eun Yi  1 , Yun-Hee Lee  1 , Si-Won Choi  1 , Ji-A Lee  1 , Yeo-Won Jin  1 , Hyo-Soon Yoo  1
Affiliations
Review

[Global Measles Outbreaks]

[Article in Korean]
Ju-Young Sim et al. Jugan Geongang Gwa Jilbyeong. .

Abstract

In 2023, as public health and social measures due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) eased and overseas travel resumed, measles cases increased rapidly worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 320,000 measles cases were reported worldwide in 2023, 1.8 times higher than approximately 170,000 cases in 2022. Even in countries verified as measles-eradication countries, community epidemics have been observed mainly among unvaccinated and incompletely vaccinated people. The WHO indicated that low vaccination rates and increased international travel are the main causes of the rapid increase in measles outbreaks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination services were suspended or delayed in many countries, significantly decreasing vaccination rates. Simultaneously, as travel restrictions eased, population movement increased worldwide, creating an environment that made it easy for the measles virus to spread to various regions. The WHO has set the goal of eradicating measles by 2030, and important strategies include maintaining and strengthening vaccination rates, strengthening quarantine, patient surveillance, public health education, and information sharing through international cooperation. As of 2022, the Republic of Korea has maintained a relatively high vaccination rate by meeting the standards for maintaining herd immunity of over 95% recommended by the WHO, with a secondary vaccination rate of 95%. However, there is a risk of transmission through certain age groups and overseas inflows where vaccination rates are relatively low. Therefore, in areas with an active measles outbreak, it is essential to be vaccinated before traveling to areas where outbreaks are increasing, and careful monitoring is necessary to prevent domestic inflow.

Keywords: Measles; Overseas importation; Vaccination; World Health Organization.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Measles case distribution by month and WHO region (2016–2024)
WHO=World Health Organization. Reused from the report of World Health Organization, 2024 [4].
Figure 2
Figure 2. Measles verification of elimination by country
Reused from the report of World Health Organization, 2024 [4].
그림 1
그림 1. WHO 지역별 홍역 발생 현황(2016–2024년)
WHO=World Health Organization. Reused from the report of World Health Organization, 2024 [4].
그림 2
그림 2. WHO 지역별 홍역 퇴치 상태
WHO=World Health Organization. Reused from the report of World Health Organization, 2024 [4].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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