Samoa measles outbreak: WHO blames anti-vaccine scare as death toll hits 39

UN agency says fall in vaccination rates has paved way for 'huge outbreak' in Pacific island nation

A measles epidemic in Samoa has killed 39 people, with the World Health Organization (WHO) blaming an anti-vaccine messaging campaign for leaving the Pacific island nation vulnerable to the spread of the virus.

The UN health agency warned that a steep decline in vaccination rates in Samoa had paved the way for a "huge outbreak", with almost 3,000 in a country of just 200,000 people.