UNICEF says 287,000 Canadian kids missed shot from 2010-17
(Christine Rankin/ CBC News) — The number of measles cases worldwide in the first three months of 2019 has increased 300 per cent compared to the same period in 2018 to more than 110,000 cases reported worldwide, says a UNICEF report released Thursday.
UNICEF said that an estimated 169 million children worldwide did not receive the first dose of the measles vaccine in the past eight years. Pockets of unvaccinated children allow measles to spread, the agency said, which has caused the current outbreaks around the world, including in Canada.
“The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children,” said Fore. “If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike.”
Children are amongst the most vulnerable to measles. In 2017, youngsters made up the majority of the 110,000 people who died from measles. (…)
Canada was in the top 10 high-income countries with children who did not receive the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017. The United States tops the list with more than 2.5 million children not vaccinated. (…)