Malawi is facing a measles outbreak due to persistent gaps in routine childhood immunization coverage. Coverage for the first dose of the measles vaccine was 88% in 2025, and for the second dose, 68%, far from the 95% needed for herd immunity.
Despite a reactive vaccination campaign in mid-2025 that immunized more than 2.2 million children, the country has recorded 1,690 alerts and 695 confirmed cases as of mid-2026. Population movement and small immunity gaps are accelerating the spread. Emergency campaigns are a temporary solution; stronger routine immunization systems are needed.
