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Why measles deaths are surging — and coronavirus could make it worse

The world’s most contagious virus has killed thousands in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 23 countries have suspended measles vaccination campaigns as they cope with SARS-CoV-2.
  1. Leslie Roberts
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A group of people load vaccinations onto a motorbike.

A driver prepares to transport vaccines into rural areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Credit: Junior Kannah/AFP Via Getty

A viral outbreak has killed more than 6,500 children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and is still spreading through the country. The foe isn’t the feared coronavirus, which has only just reached the DRC. It’s an old, familiar and underestimated adversary: measles.

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Nature 580, 446-447 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01011-6

Updates & Corrections

  • Clarification 09 April 2020: The text has been changed to clarify the difference in effectiveness between one and two doses of the measles vaccine.

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