Diptheria, cholera, measles and a mutated strain of poliovirus are spreading in poor countries, which closed inoculation sites in recent months to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. These diseases could kill more children than COVID-19 in the coming period if nothing is done to arrest their spread. The World Health Organization and other entities are urging countries to resume vaccination programs, but resources and health workers are stretched thin as they deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth of vaccine hesitancy also impede progress. According to a 2019 study by the Vaccine Impact Modeling Consortium, vaccines have prevented 35 million deaths in 98 countries and reduced child mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases by 44%. (NY Times story, 6/14/20)
