Why are global cases of measles rising?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 13 May 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” proclaimed one regional director from the World Health Organisation who went on to add, “without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.”
Measles is a childhood disease which can be deadly. We’ve been successfully vaccinating against it for decades. So much so that many younger physicians have never seen a child with the disease. But recently, the recorded number of cases has been rising - and this is a global trend.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to man. In an unvaccinated population it will spread like wildfire. So what’s behind the rapid rise of measles cases around the world? According to one of our expert witnesses it comes down to three Cs: complacency, convenience and confidence.
In this edition of the Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal looks into what’s causing the rise in measles cases around the world and asks how this trend can be reversed.
Contributors:
Doctor Claudia Cojocaru – Romanian physician and neonatologist
Robb Butler - Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health: World Health Organisation
Dr Benjamin Kasstan-Dabush -Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Fatima Cengic, Regional Immunization Specialist, Europe and Central Asia: UNICEF
Presenter: Sandra Kanthal Production: Katie Morgan Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey Technical Producer: James Beard Editor: Tara McDermott
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself. My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts. I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with leading journalists, experienced pundits and the biggest sports stars. Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the player's mouths. But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is a unique |
| 0:22.6 | access to the sporting world. What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real |
| 0:28.0 | connection to dedicated sports fans across the UK. So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC |
| 0:33.7 | Sounds where you'll find plenty more. Welcome to the inquiry from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:39.1 | I'm Sandra Cantall. |
| 0:40.6 | Each week, we bring you one question, four expert witnesses, and an answer. |
| 0:46.7 | So many of you saw the City of Lubbock's press release this morning, |
| 0:50.0 | but we're here to confirm that a patient has passed away from complications caused by the measles virus. |
| 0:57.6 | February, the United States, officials in the state of Texas made headlines |
| 1:02.7 | when they announced the first fatality from measles in years. |
| 1:06.8 | A second swiftly followed. |
| 1:09.0 | Both were children. |
| 1:14.0 | An adult also died in the neighboring state of New Mexico. |
| 1:17.0 | All three were unvaccinated. |
| 1:25.3 | Measles was declared eliminated from America in 2000. But 25 years later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported at least 900 cases across |
| 1:29.4 | the country from January to early May this year, an increase of more than 200% from 2024. |
| 1:38.2 | This news came into sharp focus because the country's new Secretary of Health and Human Services, |
| 1:43.9 | Robert F. Kennedy Jr., |
| 1:45.5 | is well known for his antipathy towards vaccines. |
| 1:50.3 | But it's not just America which is grappling with the resurgence of this childhood disease. |
| 1:56.1 | It's a worldwide problem. |
| 1:58.4 | As we learned from COVID, viruses have no respect for national borders. |
... |
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