Nearly 120 million children could miss out on MMR vaccine due to Covid-19

More than 117 million children across 37 countries are at risk of missing out on their measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations as immunization campaigns are being called off due to the Covid-19 crisis, according to a statement from the international Measles and Rubella Initiative. The group, which is a partnership across global health agencies including the WHO, UNICEF, and the American Red Cross, says that, in accordance with WHO recommendations, governments can suspend preventive vaccine campaigns in areas where there are no active outbreaks of these three diseases, but in high-risk areas, officials should continue to provide these shots. If this is not possible, the initiative recommends tracking down children who haven't yet been vaccinated. Suspending vaccination campaigns in an effort to keep health workers safe is important, the statement says, but "this should not mean that children permanently miss out."