Historical Context of Measles
- 60 years ago, over 90% of children worldwide were infected by measles.
- Of those infected, about 25% required hospitalization.
- Measles was a highly contagious airborne virus, affecting nearly every child before vaccination.
Relevance : GS 2(Health ,Governance)
Development and Impact of the Measles Vaccine
- The first effective measles vaccine was developed by John Enders in 1963.
- Vaccination efforts initially scaled up in richer countries, then globally in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Over the last 50 years, measles vaccinations have prevented over 9 crore (90 million) deaths worldwide.
- Vaccines reduce the risk of contracting measles by a factor of 20.
Role of Other Factors in Decline of Deaths (Not Cases)
- In countries like the U.S., deaths from measles fell pre-vaccine due to:
- Better treatment of secondary infections.
- Improved sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition.
- However, these did not reduce measles cases, as it spreads through airborne transmission.
- Before vaccines, the U.S. still saw ~50,000 hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths annually.
Disparities in Measles Impact Between Rich and Poor Countries
- Measles deaths remained high in low- and middle-income countries until vaccines became widely available.
- In the 1980s, the case fatality rate in such countries was 5-10%.
- Africa and Southeast Asia recorded thousands of deaths annually from measles during the 1980s–2000s.
Scale-up of Vaccination and Global Health Initiatives
- Dramatic drop in deaths from the 2000s onward, especially in Africa, due to scaled-up vaccination efforts.
- The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) by the World Health Assembly (from 1970s) significantly improved coverage.
- By early 2000s, vaccination reached 9 crore children (60% of infants globally).
Remaining Gaps and Gavi Vaccine Alliance
- Despite progress, millions of children—mostly in poorer countries—were still unvaccinated.
- The Gavi Vaccine Alliance (est. 2000) was created to close these gaps.
- Currently, over 100 million infants (80% of children globally) receive measles vaccines.
Regional Impact and Lives Saved
- Measles vaccination has dramatically reduced child mortality worldwide.
- Greatest lives saved in:
- Africa: 2.9 crore (29 million)
- Southeast Asia: 2.0 crore (20 million)
- These regions had measles as a leading cause of child mortality until recently.
Summary: Measles Vaccine’s Public Health Success
- One of history’s most successful vaccination programs.
- Prevented millions of deaths, changed the trajectory of measles globally.
- Continues to require efforts to reach remaining unvaccinated children to sustain progress.
