Nature
Climate & Emissions
02 Nov 2026
Measles made a stealthy comeback while the world watched COVID
Vaccination programs got starved for funding and attention during the pandemic panic, so a disease everyone thought we'd defeated quietly climbed back up, waiting for its moment.
This means COVID's shadow cost includes resurgent measles cases worldwide, a reminder that neglecting one epidemic while fighting another leaves older diseases free to spread.
Bug reported: No