MEASLES SURGE AS COVID DISRUPTS VACCINATIONS

Measles surged to infect almost 870,000 people around the world in 2019, the worst figures in almost a quarter of a century as vaccination levels fell below critical levels, a report said on Thursday.

Millions of children are at risk of the disease again this year as restrictions imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic further disrupt immunization programs, the report co-led by the World Health Organization said.

Measles is one of the most contagious known diseases — more so than COVID-19, Ebola, tuberculosis or the flu.

More than 207,000 people died of it last year alone, the report found.