Correlation between Measles Immunization Coverage and Overall Morbidity and Mortality for COVID-19: An Epidemiological Study

Abstract

Aim: We conducted the current analysis to determine the potential role of measles vaccination in the context of the spread of COVID-19.Methods: Data were extracted from the world health organization’s (WHO) Global Health Observatory data repository about the measles immunization coverage estimates and correlated to overall morbidity and mortality for COVID-19 among different countries. Data were statistically analyzed to calculate the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rho).Result: There was no significant correlation between the measles vaccine coverage (%) and both of new cases per one million populations (rho= 0.21; p-value= 0.052) and deaths per one million populations (rho= 0.21; p-valueConclusion: Claims regarding the possible protective effect of measles vaccination seem to be doubtful.