Measles Is Surging Again as Millions Remain at Risk in 2026

Measles is again becoming a major global health threat despite the availability of an effective vaccine for more than six decades. The World Health Organization estimates that around 11 million people were infected in 2024 and approximately 95,000 died, most of them unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under five. The main problem is the accumulation of large pockets of people without sufficient immunity. In 2025, only 84% of children worldwide received a first measles-containing vaccine dose and just 77% received the recommended second dose, well below the roughly 95% two-dose coverage needed to reliably prevent sustained outbreaks. Around 29 million infants remained under-protected, while 57 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks.The problem is not confined to low-income countries. Europe and Central Asia recorded 33,998 measles cases in 2025, sharply down from 127,412 in 2024, but WHO and UNICEF warn that the improvement remains fragile and outbreaks continue in communities with immunity gaps. Conflict, displacement, disrupted health services, funding shortages and declining vaccine confidence in some communities are all contributing to the renewed spread. Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses, meaning a single imported infection can trigger a sizeable outbreak where vaccination coverage has fallen. There is not yet a final global figure for infections in 2026, so claims that “millions will contract measles” should be understood as a projection rather than a completed count. Given current vaccination gaps and recent global totals, however, another year with infections measured in the millions remains entirely plausible. Sources: WHO, UNICEF and WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage.