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Eight people have died so far this year in a measles outbreak in Ukraine, and 3,100 were infected last week alone, the Associated Press reports. The numbers point to an uptick compared to last year, in which 53,000 people contracted the disease.
Ukraine is largely responsible for Europe’s growing measles problem, but it is hardly the only country grappling with the highly infectious disease. In the Philippines, 70 people have died among 4,000 who have caught the virus, and the outbreak appears to be strengthening, according to The Washington Post. In Madagascar, 300 patients have died and another 50,000 have been infected.
The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes the spread of measles in these countries and others to a lack of vaccination, either because it’s difficult to access or because of anti-vaccination propaganda. “We’re having outbreaks that are protracted, that are sizable and that are growing,” ...
