UNICEF said measles cases worldwide surged by 300% this year. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said measles cases in the U.S. are the highest since 2000. UNICEF said around 169 million children worldwide have missed measles vaccinations. Measles killed 110,000 people (mostly children) in 2017, up 22 per cent from 2016. UNICEF said: "The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children....We need to vaccinate every child."
The CDC blamed the anti-vaccination movement for the surge in measles cases. The anti-vaxxer movement began 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 said the anti-vaxxer movement spread misinformation about the safety of the measles vaccine. It said anti-vaxxers "are deliberately targeting...communities".