UNICEF has said measles cases worldwide surged by 300% in the first three months of 2019. Its report came out on the same day that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that measles cases in the U.S. are the highest they've been since 2000. UNICEF reported that around 169 million children worldwide have missed measles vaccinations. Up to 110,000 people (mostly children) died from measles in 2017, up 22 per cent from 2016. UNICEF said: "The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children....We need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike."
The CDC blamed the anti-vaccination movement for a drop in the number of children getting vaccinated. The anti-vaxxer movement began in France in 1763. Doctors believed vaccines were harmful. The anti-vaxxer message is spreading across social media. Facebook vowed to remove anti-vaxxer posts. The CDC blamed the anti-vaxxer movement for the rise in measles cases because of misinformation about the safety of the measles vaccine. It said: "Some organizations are deliberately targeting...communities with inaccurate and misleading information about vaccines."