Measles Outbreak in Amran Governorate, Yemen (2024): A Retrospective Study Highlighting Vaccination Gaps

Yemen is facing an alarming measles outbreak, which represents a significant public health challenge exacerbated by factors such as low vaccination rates. In the present study, the aim was to determine the proportion of patients with measles infection and describe the characteristics of patients who attended Motherhood and Childhood Teaching Hospital in Amran Governorate between January and December 2024. A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used to analyze existing medical records. Among the 6,241 hospital admissions in 2024, 3.78% (N = 236) were clinically diagnosed measles cases. Among these measles patients, 221 of 236 (93.6%) were unvaccinated. Among the 15 vaccinated children, ages ranged from 0.91 to 6 years (the majority were aged 1-4 years), with six having received one dose and nine having received two doses. Analysis of the age distribution revealed that a significant proportion of cases occurred in infants under 9 months of age (54/236, 22.8%) who were ineligible for the first routine vaccine dose. The highest burden was among children aged 2-4 years (66/236, 27.9%). Two deaths (0.8% case fatality rate) occurred in children under 5 years of age because of measles complications. The high proportion of unvaccinated individuals among measles cases highlights significant gaps in vaccination coverage, particularly when compared with national estimates, suggesting overall measles immunization coverage of ∼41%. This situation is likely compounded by parental misconceptions regarding the importance of vaccination and insufficient awareness of their children's health needs. To prevent recurring measles infections, raising awareness among parents about the importance of vaccination and encouraging adherence to routine immunization schedules at health facilities are crucial.