Anti-vax movement listed as world health threat by global body
The anti-vax movement’s influence on slowing vaccination rates has been labelled as a threat to global health in 2019 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Alongside air pollution and climate change, global influenza pandemic and dengue, the organisation said “vaccine hesitancy threatens to reverse progress in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases”.
WHO defines vaccine hesitancy as delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services.
It said vaccinations prevent two to three million deaths a year and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.
“Measles, for example, has seen a 30 per cent increase in cases globally,” WHO said.
“The reasons for this rise are complex, and not all of these cases are due to vaccine hesitancy.
“However, some countries that were close to eliminating the disease have seen a resurgence.”
WHO’s top 10 threats to global health in 2019
Air pollution and climate change
Noncommunicable diseases
Global influenza pandemic
Fragile and vulnerable settings
Antimicrobial resistance
Ebola and other high-threat pathogens
Weak primary health care
Vaccine hesitancy
Dengue
HIV
The organisation added it’s unsure why people choose not to vaccinate but identified “complacency”, “inconvenience” and “a lack of confidence”.
WHO said it planned to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide via HPV vaccine in 2019.
Two anti-vaccination billboards emerged in Perth in August prompting calls from WA Health Minister Roger Cook to have them torn down.
“These people are pedalling lies and they must be stopped,” Mr Cook said.
Stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7’s daily newsletter. Sign up here.
