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Measles is a highly infectious viral disease which can lead to serious complications. In high income regions of the world such as Western Europe, it causes death in at least 1 in 5000 cases, but as many as 1 in 100 will die in the poorest regions of the world.

Worldwide, measles is still a major cause of death, especially among children in resource-poor countries. In 2011, 158,000 people died of measles – an average of 432 every day. However, over the last twenty years vaccination has dramatically reduced the number of deaths from measles. Since 1990 (when measles killed 872,000 people), over one in 5 of all child deaths averted have been due to measles vaccination.

In the short film below, experts talk about measles and its complications, and the importance of the MMR vaccine.

Read more about the symptoms, how it is passed on and how the MMR vaccine protects people on the Vaccine Knowledge Project website.