Measles cases surge nearly 80% in wake of Covid chaos, with fears other diseases could follow

Unicef says virus is canary in the coalmine' that shows up the gaps in vaccination campaigns for preventable illness

Measles cases have surged nearly 80% worldwide this year amid disruption caused by Covid-19, the UN has said, warning that the rise of the canary in a coalmine" illness indicated that outbreaks of other diseases were likely to be on the way.

The coronavirus pandemic has interrupted vaccination campaigns for non-Covid diseases around the world, creating a perfect storm" that could put millions of children's lives at risk, the UN's children's agency Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement.