Forty-five years ago, the World Health Organisation launched the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. It covered six diseases - measles, tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. Since then, anti-measles vaccines have been distributed to millions of children across the world, leading to a massive reduction in illness and death. For example, between 2000 and 2017, it was estimated that global deaths from measles had reduced by about 80% due to vaccination.
Success in the fight against measles is down to the delivery of at least two doses of vaccines to about 95% of children in the world. Vaccination is critical to preventing the disease because there's no treatment for measles. During an outbreak, measles mainly affects unvaccinated children, but also adults who have never been vaccinated. The measles virus spreads when patients cough or sneeze, and remains active in the environment for several hours. The symptoms include high fever, dry cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes and skin rash.
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