Pakistan has been listed among the countries facing the world’s largest measles outbreaks, with 11,037 cases recorded during a six-month surveillance period, according to the latest global update published by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC’s update places Pakistan fifth in a table of the ten countries reporting the highest measles caseloads.
The ranking is based on provisional monthly surveillance data reported to the World Health Organization as of July 2026 and covers the period from December 2025 to May 2026. The figures may be revised as countries verify and update their surveillance records.
Bangladesh reported the highest number of cases, followed by India, Yemen and Mexico. Pakistan appeared next, ahead of Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Guatemala, Angola and Sudan.
Countries reporting the highest measles caseloads
The table highlights Pakistan’s continuing struggle with a disease that is largely preventable through timely vaccination.
Measles outbreaks occurring in every global region
The CDC warns that measles outbreaks are currently occurring in every region of the world.
Because measles is one of the most contagious human diseases, the virus can spread rapidly when it reaches communities where people are unvaccinated or have missed one or both recommended vaccine doses.
The infection can also cross international borders through travel and trigger outbreaks in communities with immunity gaps.
The CDC estimates that approximately 10.3 million people contracted measles worldwide in 2023. It says global measles activity has continued to increase after an initial decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakistan faced sustained measles transmission in 2025
Pakistan was already reporting a significant measles burden before appearing in the latest CDC ranking.
According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan recorded an incidence rate of 80 measles cases per million people in 2025, four times higher than the WHO threshold used to classify an outbreak as large and disruptive.
Outbreaks were reported in 432 union councils across 101 districts, indicating that transmission had spread across numerous communities rather than remaining confined to one geographical area.
WHO reporting also indicated that Pakistan registered more than 17,000 measles cases during 2025 as of November.
These figures cover different reporting periods and should not be combined with the latest CDC total. Taken together, however, they show that Pakistan experienced sustained measles transmission extending from 2025 into 2026.
Why measles can become dangerous
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory viral infection. It can cause serious illness, long-term complications and death, particularly among young children and people with weakened immunity.
Early symptoms commonly include:
• High fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red or watery eyes
• A widespread skin rash
Serious complications may include pneumonia, encephalitis or brain inflammation, loss of sight or hearing, and death.
Children younger than five and people living in low- and middle-income countries face a particularly high risk of severe complications.
The virus spreads through respiratory droplets and airborne particles released when an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes. It can spread quickly in homes, schools, healthcare facilities and densely populated communities.
Missed vaccinations create conditions for outbreaks
The global resurgence of measles is closely linked to gaps in routine childhood immunisation.
According to the CDC, 20.6 million children missed their first measles vaccine dose in 2024. The agency says vaccination coverage of at least 95% is needed to prevent outbreaks because of the exceptional contagiousness of the virus.
Even small pockets of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children can allow measles to spread rapidly.
In Pakistan, vaccination gaps may be linked to missed routine appointments, limited healthcare access, misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, displacement, urban overcrowding and interruptions caused by conflict or climate-related emergencies.
The new ranking reinforces the need to identify children who missed routine doses and provide catch-up vaccination before further outbreaks develop.
Pakistan launched a major vaccination campaign
Pakistan launched a nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign in November 2025, targeting approximately 34 million children aged six months to 59 months.
Vaccination services were delivered through fixed centres, outreach sites, schools and seminaries across the country.
WHO also reported training approximately 140,000 health workers ahead of the campaign as authorities prepared to respond to widespread transmission.
While mass vaccination campaigns can rapidly increase protection, sustained control requires strong routine immunisation, reliable disease surveillance, timely case investigation and follow-up vaccination for children who remain unprotected.
What parents should do
Parents and caregivers should check their children’s vaccination records and ensure that all recommended measles-containing vaccine doses have been received.
Children who missed a scheduled dose may still be eligible for catch-up vaccination. Families should contact a government vaccination centre, paediatrician or local health authority for guidance.
Parents should seek prompt medical advice if a child develops fever, cough, red eyes and a spreading rash, particularly after contact with someone suspected of having measles.
When measles is suspected, families should inform the healthcare facility before arriving so appropriate infection-control measures can be taken.
Suspected patients should not be taken into crowded waiting areas, schools or public gatherings without medical advice because the virus can spread quickly to unprotected people.
Vaccination protects entire communities
Measles vaccination protects both the vaccinated child and the wider community.
Some people cannot receive certain vaccines because of their age or medical condition. Their protection depends partly on high vaccination coverage among those around them.
The CDC says measles vaccines have been used safely and effectively for more than 50 years. Between 2000 and 2023, vaccination is estimated to have saved approximately 60 million lives worldwide.
The agency also describes measles vaccination as one of the most cost-effective public-health interventions available.
A warning Pakistan cannot ignore
Pakistan’s inclusion among the world’s ten highest measles caseloads is more than an international ranking.
It signals that thousands of children remain exposed to a preventable disease capable of causing hospitalisation, disability and death.
Although the figures are provisional and may change, the public-health message is clear: measles continues to circulate, immunity gaps remain and vaccination services must reach every eligible child.
Controlling the outbreak will require reliable vaccine supplies, trained health workers, accurate case reporting, rapid response to suspected clusters and stronger public confidence in routine immunisation.
For parents, the most immediate step is simple but potentially lifesaving: check the child’s vaccination record and arrange medical guidance if any measles dose has been missed.
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