Measles are now “an imminent threat in every region of the world“,  with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday urging nations to act. A new joint report warns that millions of children worldwide are at risk of catching the highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease after a record 40 million kids missed a vaccine dose last year due to COVID disruptions. Measles requires a childhood vaccination uptake of 95% to prevent outbreaks, but in 2021 about 81% got their first measles jab, and 71% got their 2nd dose – the lowest rates since 2008. Officials said there were 9 million global measles infections and 128,000 deaths in 2021, with more than 95% of fatalities occurring in Africa and Asia. Here in Oz, cases are rare, but officials have to be vigilant.